Matt O’Riley and his seven bloke welcome to Glasgow | OneFootball

If you’re in Glasgow City Centre and seven blokes take a run at you, the chances are the fight or flight instincts would kick in. Me, I’m a lover, not a fighter, and I’d be legging it as quick as my pins would carry me, but then, seven blokes running towards you when you’re a new Celtic signing out looking at a brand-new apartment is very a different story.

For Matt O’Riley there were not the fears you or I may have had, instead a realisation Ange Postecoglou’s latest signing had landed at as big a club as you get!

Speaking at this afternoon’s press conference, O’Riley admits to being taken aback by the attention as well as the impressive training facilities at Lennoxtown and the number of support staff on hand to assist.

“‘It’s definitely different to what I’m used to – the facilities, the amount of staff in the building. My first day in Glasgow I was viewing apartments and I seen like seven blokes running towards me for pictures and stuff so that’s definitely a change in terms of fans and support. It’s going to take some getting used to but it’s really cool that the city is so together and behind the team.”

And when asked if he was fit enough to outrun the attention, Matt admitted there was a certain level of determination from his new found fans.

‘Not really, to be fair, they gave it their all! But they were nice guys and it was just really cool to have that kind of support.”

Matt looks likely to play his part for Celtic tomorrow night, and be that from the bench, or as you may expect from being put in front of the camera today, from the start, O’Riley is going to exchange Glasgow City centre for a far less friendly environment under the lights tomorrow night in Edinburgh, as Celtic visit Hearts at Tynecastle with only 1300 Celtic fans in attendance, but it’s a challenge the former MK Dons and Fulham man is ready for.

“I feel ready, yeah. If I’m called upon then I’m ready yeah. I’ve played enough games this season so I’m in a good place physically and I’ve had a few days of training with the boys so if I’m called upon I’ll be ready.”

“It’s a new challenge. We’re a massive club so all the other teams are going to really want to beat us. Against Hearts, the atmosphere is going to be hostile. It’s just stuff like that I’m really looking forward to. I got a taste of it in England but with a club this size I’m probably going to get it even more. So that’s the things I’m most excited about – the atmosphere, the fans, those kinds of things.”

With injuries to Callum McGregor and Yosuke Ideguchi, and with Tom Rogic away on international duty with Australia, there is every chance Matt O’Riley will follow the likes of Carl Starfelt and Kyogo and make his Celtic debut at Tynecastle, perhaps that run in with seven blokes in Glasgow City Centre might just have topped up his match sharpness.

Niall J

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