The third international break of the season will soon be upon us, and numerous Celtic players will jet out to represent their countries. Matt O’Riley, however, won’t be one of those.
Despite getting an unexpected, late call-up last time around, Matt O’Riley has been omitted from the Denmark squad for November.
This news comes as no big shock, in fairness. He was only drafted in last month due to injury issues.
Manager Kasper Hjulmund explained the latest snub. He said (Daily Record): “It’s not like I’m trying to avoid him…quite the opposite. I’ve been following Matt all along. But honestly, if you look at the five midfielders I’ve selected, you’ll have to tell me which one of them shouldn’t be included if he is to be included?”
All of Thomas Delaney, Christian Norgaard, Pierre-Emile Hojberg, Mathias Jensen, and Christian Eriksen were picked by Hjulmund in the engine room. Given the quality of the Danish side, it is an arduous task for O’Riley to break into it.
He does have some qualities that could be useful for his country in years to come, though. Hjulmund said: “He plays higher up in the pocket. He plays very, very close to the attackers. So he is a different type, and I think he has done well. I am completely sure that he is a player we will see a lot more of.”
Just 22, there is plenty of time yet for O’Riley to establish himself in the senior Denmark team. He has been a standout for his club this season and when he eventually does get that consistency in terms of minutes for his country, he could well kick on even further.
