Matt O’Riley was awarded with the man of the match trophy last night after Celtic’s 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The former MK dons midfielder has had to deputise for Celtic captain Callum McGregor in the deeper role in midfield which didn’t go unnoticed last night.
It was by no means his best game in a Celtic jersey but the manager appears to favour him there so that the ball can transition forward quickly with the 21-year old still being involved in Celtic’s attacks.
He was very unlucky not to get on the scoresheet last night but will be hungry once again to have another go at Europe’s elite competition.
“He was excellent in central midfield as a playmaker in distributing passes. O’Riley was also defensively balanced, winning back possession and stopping counterattacks,” said UEFA’s technical directer as quoted by Guillem Balague.
Great to see that @mattoriley8, deployed deeper than usual, became MoM
UEFA's Technical Observer: "He was excellent in central midfield as a playmaker in distributing passes. O'Riley was also defensively balanced, winning back possession and stopping counterattacks." pic.twitter.com/VBizpzOiw8
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) October 26, 2022
This is the level he will want to be playing at and can only get better.
O’Riley has been constantly linked with a number of different clubs but playing well at this level of football will always attract interest.
He could still potentially be selected by the Danish national team for the World Cup and will be hoping to put in some good performances before the squads are selected.
It’s important that he doesn’t get too disheartened after the European campaign and turns his focus back to domestic duties swiftly.
Celtic will go to Livingston on Sunday in the lunchtime kick-off and will be looking to get back to winning ways quickly.
