ROLLING OUT WELCOME MATT
O’Riley knows he’s operating at a whole new level with Celtic
THERE must have been moments in the past fortnight when Matt O’Riley has wondered if he’s somehow fallen into a different dimension.
The third tier of English football that he previously inhabited is a fiercely-competitive environment where fallen giants such as Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday try to fend off the ambitious young upstarts like MK Dons and Fleetwood Town.
For all the tradition and passion of so many of its clubs and followers, though, comparing it to the top flight of Scottish football is an exercise in futility.
O’Riley’s penultimate game for MK Dons prior to moving to Celtic was the small matter of a clash against a sworn enemy in AFC Wimbledon. Attendance for the night? 7,663.
Since then, the midfielder has made his debut inside a pulsating Tynecastle and experienced a capacity crowd at Celtic Park erupt in celebration as Liel Abada scored a 90th-minute winner against Dundee United. And then came Wednesday. Granting an interview to club media after Celtic’s 3-0 victory over Rangers, O’Riley wore the look of a man who’d just been caught up in a hurricane.
The Englishman had been warned that he was signing up for something big here, perhaps even something unique.
Still, the scale of Celtic and the eardrum rupturing noise that seems to rise with every game has stopped him in his tracks. Now he knows what they meant.
‘Before the game, I didn’t really know what to expect,’ said the 21-year-old.
‘I knew the importance of the game and the magnitude of it but I didn’t know exactly what the experience was going to be like.
‘Just when I got in that stadium and the game started, I was thinking: “This is pretty crazy.” In that sense, I was blown away.
‘Once the game started, I was fine. I found my feet again. It was a cool experience.’
The list of those who have found the atmosphere of Glasgow derbies too hot to handle down the years is sizeable. All the talent in the world amounts to nothing if your legs turn to jelly.
O’Riley has immediately demonstrated that he is cut from a different cloth. After just three games, it can be stated without fear of contradiction that he is a big-game player.
‘I think once you play in enough games you do get used to it,’ he added. ‘Even before the Dundee United game, I was pretty shellshocked just by the number of people in the stadium.
‘Being able to play that game before the Rangers one probably helped me in terms of my own headspace. I am someone who likes playing in front of a big crowd. It’s what I thrive on.
‘In that sense, I didn’t find it difficult. I think I relish that more than a game when the (number of) fans isn’t the best. In that sense, I found it very enjoyable.’
His life has already changed beyond playing in front of crowds six or seven times those which he was previously accustomed to.
There are constant — and welcome — reminders of the fact he is now playing for a veritable behemoth of the game in this new chapter of life.
‘Just in terms of when you want to go out for a walk in the city,’ he explained. ‘Then you realise how passionate the fans are here.
‘It’s hard to walk around without getting stopped and asked for a photo, which is honestly pretty amazing.
‘It’s definitely the first time I’ve experienced it in a magnitude like this. I would go out occasionally back where I was and get recognised once or twice, but here I know if I do go out, more likely than not I’m going to get stopped.
‘I think it’s really cool and it’s something I’m really grateful for — just to have fans supporting the club so passionately. I’m definitely enjoying it. I understand now what it’s like to represent a club like Celtic.’
That encompasses far greater scrutiny from all forms of the media. The glare of the spotlight can dazzle some individuals yet O’Riley seems entirely at ease with it.
‘You get a bit more recognition naturally when you are at a bigger club,’ he continued. ‘In that sense, I’ve had more publicity and attention from the media etc.
‘When you can show your ability on a bigger stage you obviously get more credit for it. It’s been nice to show what I can do on the so called bigger stage.
‘It’s not something I’m used to but I’m trying to get used to it. I’m enjoying the change of lifestyle and the change of how I’m perceived in the football world.
‘At the same time, I don’t really get too attached to the social media side of things as we all know if you have one bad game that people can be very quick to switch off on you. I stay away from it as much as can but I also try to enjoy it at the same time.’
Words of criticism on his performances to date must be rarer than snowflakes in the
Sahara. Thrown in to face Hearts six days after signing, he has taken to the task with extraordinary ease. He already looks every inch the perfect fit for Ange Postecoglou’s swashbuckling side.
‘I said before I left my previous club that I didn’t want to go somewhere where the style would potentially jeopardise the way I like to play,’ explained ORiley.
‘It was made clear that it would be the right style for me here when I spoke to the gaffer on the phone. He made it clear I would fit in well here and hopefully that’s shown in the first few games.’
His impact across three games has helped to ensure that a flawless start to the year for his side has continued. With Rangers stumbling, Celtic have a slender lead at the top of the table as well as the momentum.
‘Of course we would rather be first than second,’ said O’Riley.
‘That goes without saying. It puts us in a position where we are the people who control our own outcome now. We aren’t relying on anyone else to drop points.’