THE RILE MCCOY
Englishman proving a real bargain & he says Celtic has given him the huge stage he craved
MATT O’RILEY has grand designs to star on the biggest stage in football – and he’s convinced Celtic can be his ticket to the top.
The playmaker has been a smash hit since his arrival from MK Dons in January and punters reckon it’s not just Callum
Mcgregor who should be wearing a mask these days.
Boss Ange Postecoglou (inset) snapping up the midfielder for just £1.5m is looking more like daylight robbery by the week as the 21-year-old has hit the ground running.
O’riley – who grabbed his first goal for the club in Wednesday’s battling 3-2 win at Aberdeen – has been tipped for big things since coming through as a kid at Fulham – and the Hoops ace hasn’t hidden his lofty ambitions.
But he’s sure he can achieve them with Celts as the Parkhead men target silver success at home and in Europe.
O’riley said: “You have to aim big and I’m not going to settle for a certain level, I want to reach the very top. “That’s what I want to do and a club like Celtic has a potential to do that so I am really happy to be
here and happy to be playing.”
O’riley caught the eye before the trip to Pittodrie but admitted he had been desperate to open his account. The youngster teed up Jota for the opener at Pittodrie – and then lapped up the celebrations when he slotted away the second with his deflected drive.
O’riley said: “I was delighted with the goal. I’m not going to lie, I said before the game I could do with scoring because I’m five games in. I missed one chance against Dundee United which was a really good opportunity and it was playing at the back of mind.
“So I said before the game that I could do with scoring just for my own head and fortunately it happened.
“It was amazing, it was also in front of the fans which always makes it better.”
Raith Rovers are at Celtic Park on Sunday before Norwegian shock troops Bodo/glimt arrive for their Europa Conference League clash.
The games are coming thick and fast and O’riley said: “We have a really strong squad now so in terms of rotation it is going to be really important.
“We have so many games coming up that everyone genuinely needs to be ready because 10 games in a month.”