Former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has lavished praise on Matt O’Riley, describing the young midfielder’s talent as “a rare gift”.
O’Riley, who came from MK Dons to Celtic after a stint with Fulham’s youth side, has been hailed by Strachan for his composure and exceptional passing ability, likening him to football greats such as Modric and Iniesta in conversation with RecordSport.
“He’s come on leaps and bounds and some of his passes have been phenomenal. He has the ability that all the top players have of remaining composed on the ball.
“Matt isn’t flustered in possession and isn’t influenced by a crowd screaming at him.
“He’s got that ability to take a ball, shield it and play the right pass every single time. It’s a rare gift that only the real top players like your Modrics or your Iniestas have.”
Quite the comparison!
O’Riley’s contributions this season have been significant, with six goals to his name, already bettering last season’s goal-scoring numbers. His performances have earned him a call-up to the Denmark international team during the last break.
In the same breath, Strachan offered advice to Odin Thiago Holm, the 20-year-old Norwegian talent, whose Champions League debut was marred by a red card shortly after he took to the pitch.
The ex-Hoops boss sees this as a formative experience for Holm, advising him to learn from the professionalism and dedication of teammates such as Hatate, O’Riley, McGregor, and Turnbull.
“I thought that red card was a character-building moment for Holm.
“There is only one way to react to getting sent off in an important match of football. I thought he was really unfortunate.
“The best thing for Holm is what he’s learning on the training ground. Nothing improves players better than playing and working with top players on the training ground.
“All he needs to do is watch the likes of Hatate, O’Riley, McGregor and Turnbull.
“Watch their approach to training; their professionalism and work rate and he won’t go wrong.”
