Matt O’Riley praises Brendan Rodgers for influential role

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The Celtic Star

·26 Januari 2025

Matt O’Riley praises Brendan Rodgers for influential role

Former Celtic star Matt O’Riley praises Brendan Rodgers for the influential role he played in the Danish midfielder’s stunning £30m to the English Premier League…

Matt O’Riley of Brighton & Hove Albion celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Manchester City FC at Amex Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Brighton. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Joining Brighton for a club record sale last summer, O’Riley has relished his start to life in England’s top-flight despite suffering a significant long-term ankle injury eight minutes into his Seagulls’ debut which kept him out of action for three months.

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The 24 year-old enjoyed a trophy-laden two-and-a-half year spell at Celtic Park; winning three consecutive league titles on the trot, a Treble in 2022/2023 during his first full season at the club, and a double under Brendan Rodgers’ stewardship last campaign.

Matt O’Riley of Celtic poses for a photo with the PlayStation Player Of The Match award after the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park on October 25, 2023. (Photo by Jan Kruger – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Speaking to Daily Record, O’Riley opened up on his new challenge in the English Premier League and adaptations in new environs.

‘He put a lot of trust in me’

“He [Brendan] put a lot of trust in me. That’s the reason last year came to fruition like it did,” the Dane said. “I had a manager that really believed in me – and he made me aware of that. That was really nice. By doing that, it allows you to have freedom on the pitch.

“I learned so much off Brendan; I try to be as open as I can be to improving. A lot of the meditation I do helps with being as intentional and open-minded as you can. If I close myself to any new ideas, then I’m not really going to improve to a level that is potentially there in the future. I try to be as open as I can to new information. Right now, I’m still adapting to a new team and playing in a new league. It’s a great challenge but if I’m not open it won’t work.”

Matt O’Riley of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s opening goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Celtic FC at Tynecastle on October 22, 2023 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

‘It’s great to have that challenge, it makes you better’

Matt O’Riley loved life at Celtic, but insists it was always his plan to showcase himself in Europe’s top league which involves some of the best players and managers in the world.

“It’s great to have that challenge, it makes you better. It pushes you to levels that you previously haven’t been able to push yourself to,” he said. “I’m enjoying playing against the best players, that’s when you show your best football. Any time you play against players of that quality, it’s always about showcasing that.”

Now under the guidance of Fabian Hurzeler, aged 31, the German is the youngest English Premier League manager ever. Adjustments tactically have taken time, but Rodgers’ approach of which the 24 year-old saw a season of stands O’Riley in good stead as he embarks on stamping his authority in the second half of the season.

Matt O’Riley celebrates scoring during the Scottish Cup Semi Final match between Aberdeen and Celtic at Hampden on April 20, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

‘Brendan was great for me. He was always very approachable’

The midfield playmaker explained: “Brendan has been around football a long time. Our manager is great but, respectively, he’s still very young in his career. Their approaches are always going to be different. But Brendan was great for me. He was always very approachable, and you could speak to him any time.”

“It’s definitely been different adapting to a different style of play, it was a big change. Naturally, at Celtic, you had the ball for most of the game.”

He added: “the main thing is the way the games change speed in the Premier League. At Celtic it was a case of ‘go, go, go’ and we’d try to attack all the time. But at Brighton the game often slows down and then speeds up, so it’s a case of being able to adapt and learn.”

“I haven’t found the intensity too difficult but I’m still getting used to the speed of the games. I would hope the best is still in front of me, for sure.”

Conor Spence

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