Matt O'Riley airs incredible verdict on Rodgers – Celtic hero 'respectfully' elevates the brilliance of Brendan
Former Celtic star Matt O’Riley has no doubt Brendan Rodgers played a key role in his journey to the Premier League.
The ambitious 24-year-old midfielder dazzled for the Hoops, winning a hat-trick of Premiership titles under Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers. Winning the Treble in season 2022/23 with the Aussie was the highlight but O’Riley took his own game to a new level after Rodgers returned.
He joined Brighton for £25million in August last year and is loving life in his debut season in the Premier League. O’Riley, who played 124 times for the Hoops, said: “He [Brendan] put a lot of trust in me. That’s the reason last year came to fruition like it did. 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.”
O’Riley loved life at Celtic but was hungry to test himself in the English top flight against superstars such as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Liverpool’s Mo Salah. He added: “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 “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.”
The midfielder believes he can improve further under Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler. Aged 31, the German is the youngest manager in the Premier League. O’Riley said: “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.”
Many people suggest the Scottish Premiership is nowhere near the same level as the Premier League. But O’Riley, who came on as a sub in weekend 1-0 loss to Everton, believes that’s an unfair comparison.
He said: “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.
“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.”
