Former Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley has revealed the pain of being left out of Denmark’s Euro 2024 squad despite a stellar season at Parkhead.
O’Riley, who moved to Brighton in a record-breaking £25 million transfer in the summer, admits the omission still stings after contributing 19 goals and 18 assists for the Hoops last term, a brilliant return from the midfielder.
O’Riley shared his disappointment over not being selected by former Danish boss Kasper Hjulmand, despite believing he had proved his worth on the pitch with the Hoops.
“Of course it hurt,” he said as quoted by RecordSport. “I thought I had done enough to come along. But it wasn’t up to me. I thought the season I had with Celtic could have played a bigger role.
“I spoke to Kasper Hjulmand on the phone, and he said ‘right now you’re not in, but you can come over and train with us for two or three days, and maybe something can change’. I said okay to that, and I took over to train with him. I thought I was training well and that maybe I could come in, but then he pulled me aside after training and said ‘sorry, but you’re not coming in’.
“Of course, it’s difficult to be a national coach, and it’s not like I’m sitting here saying I should have been there, but my attitude was that I thought I could help the team. We don’t have much control over whether we play. We just have to do what we can. No hard feelings
“I’ve tried to train well when I was there and I just tried to enjoy it. But some things are just out of our control and we just have to try to accept that. And I actually think I’m good at that.”
O’Riley’s move to Brighton has opened new doors, giving him the chance to showcase his talent in the Premier League. With Denmark eyeing the next international tournaments, his continued development at club level could put him firmly back in contention for future squads.
As hard as it is to admit, O’Riley will have his chances increased of making his country’s squads because of his move to the Premier League.
Everyone who watched him at Celtic saw how great a player he was, showcasing it in domestic competitions and the Champions League. The only thing holding him back is that he was playing in Scotland and not elsewhere.
Hopefully, for the player’s sake, he can show his national boss what he’s been missing out on for the past few years.
