Even Kris Boyd was amazed by ‘incredible’ Celtic player after win against Rangers

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Celtic stuck out their chests and showcased who are the kings of Glasgow by beating Rangers 2-1 on Saturday.

Matt O’Riley opened the scoring for Brendan Rodgers’ side and John Lundstram put the ball in the back of his net before getting sent off.

Celtic made life very difficult for themselves towards the end, but three points are three points, with the Scottish Premiership title now within touching distance.

It wasn’t so long ago that Rodgers was getting a lot of heat for Celtic’s performances and there were chants of ‘sack the board’ during the defeat to Hearts back in December.

But one thing the Bhoys have done very well this term is win when it has mattered most, especially against Rangers, home or away.

Matt O’Riley has been at the heart of it all and was dancing in the middle of the park again to the delight of the supporters.

Even Kris Boyd couldn’t hide his admiration for O’Riley by claiming that he is ‘so clever’ in what he does, as he told Sky Sports (11/05/24 at 2:15 pm).

Over the course of the season, O’Riley has 14 league goals and 11 assists, including two assists and two goals in the Glasgow derby.

Boyd added that the season the 23-year-old has had an ‘incredible’ campaign, not forgetting his three assists in the Champions League.

Matt O’Riley helps Celtic beat Rangers

“You see when you look at him, you speak about the modern-day midfielders, he knows where he is going with it before the ball arrives,” said Boyd.  “You look at the top ones and what they do with the ball. That’s what separates them. They might work hard and are willing to run off the ball. But what they do separates them.

“He will get on the ball, his first touch is how can I get my teammate in the clear, but also, he is just so clever. His touch is never far away from him. His awareness. Just looking at him, he is just a down-to-earth boy who appreciates everything he has got. He has had to come the hard way as well to get to a level where he is now flourishing. As Neil (Lennon) said, he will go on to bigger and better things because his performances have been outstanding.

“You speak about these types of players and what they do, in terms of their assists, he has 15 league goals as well. It’s incredible. There is a bit of class about him. He makes it look easy.”

Matt O’Riley’s Celtic future

The issue for Celtic is there will now be a lot of transfer interest in O’Riley in the summer – and it might leave the champions powerless.

If a club puts serious money on the table for the playmaker, then you could probably see him going, especially if it’s from a Premier League team.

READ MORE: Celtic have advantage over Benfica in race for ‘exceptional’ ace with £17m clause

Back in January, HITC sources were told of Spanish giants Atletico Madrid being keen on the player.

The best deal Celtic could conclude in the summer is, not to splash millions on millions on one player, or bring in that defensive-minded midfielder, or a top-class goalkeeper ahead of Joe Hart’s exit, but to keep O’Riley for another 12 months.