Former Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley has paid tribute to the Hoops as one of the reasons he has been able to handle a tough first season at Brighton.

O’Riley hasn’t exactly had a season to remember at the Seagulls, a far cry from this time last season when he was in the form of his life for Celtic.

The Danish midfielder has faced injury setbacks, dropped from the starting XI, and been linked with a move away. However, in recent weeks, he has been able to fight his way back into the picture at Brighton under Fabian Hürzeler.

With O’Riley speaking fondly of the one major lesson he learned during his time in Glasgow.

He said: (The Athletic), “Competition is always good. I am used to that here and at Celtic. We had just as many midfielders at Celtic.

“It brings the best out of you, because you need to keep your level high every day in training as well. Everyone needs to be ready.”

O’Riley had to fight for his starting spot at Celtic against the likes of Reo Hatate, Aaron Mooy, Paulo Bernardo, Tom Rogic, and David Turnbull during his time at the club, and undoubtedly, it was one of the most competitive areas of the team.

He by no means had everything his own way at Celtic, with the odd dip in form, but his last full season at the Hoops was unbelievable and showed how much he had grown, not just as a player but as a person.

It’s unfortunate that O’Riley hasn’t quite hit the heights of last season yet in the Premier League, but he will undoubtedly bounce back.