Matt O’Riley didn’t hesitate when asked for his favourite stadium to play in before making the move to Brighton.
The former Celtic star, who made the move to the English Premier League last season, has had a summer filled with specualtion, but he started and scored for Brighton in the opening weekend of the season, and will be looking ahead to continue his form.
The midfielder’s response was immediate when asked what his favourite ground was: “Celtic Park, always.”
It’s a sentiment that continues to be echoed by players who’ve experienced a European night under the lights in Glasgow’s east end and not just those in green and white.
Matthew Sean O’Riley’s reply to a question what’s his favourite ground he has played at before Brighton:
🎙️”Celtic Park, always”
My heart 🥺💚🫶🏽 pic.twitter.com/JtJySFusOU
— Stacey Devlin (@StaceyDevlinx) August 23, 2025
It comes just a few weeks after he said he’s still in contact with people at Celtic, and regularly watches the games. He said, “I still follow all the games. Even though I don’t post that much on social media, I’m still watching every single game and trying to keep tabs on them.
“I’m still in contact with people. It’s hard in football to keep contact with everybody because it moves so fast and things change, but I did make some good friends up there, and I’m still in contact with a lot of staff at Celtic, which has been nice.”
Brighton’s new signing Maxim De Cuyper knows the feeling well. The Belgian full-back was the standout performer when Club Brugge visited Celtic Park in the Champions League back in November.
He was in the clip just before O’Riley, where he also said that Parkhead stands out.
Despite a composed display on the pitch that night, he later admitted the atmosphere had left a lasting impression.
“It does something to you as a human being, to stand here,” De Cuyper said. “The shouting at the anthem was also impressive. It did something to me as well.”
Now teammates on the south coast, both O’Riley and De Cuyper have been shaped by their nights at Celtic Park, one as a home player, the other as an opponent. And while O’Riley will take those memories with him into a new chapter in the Premier League, his loyalty to the Celtic support remains clear.
