Celtic secured the signing of Matt O’Riley last week, and he has now been hailed by his former Milton Keynes Dons boss Russell Martin.
The Bhoys were keen to bring in a versatile playmaker who could play centrally, as a number 10 or even out wide.
Riley McGree was the main target, but when Middlesbrough beat Celtic to his signature, the Bhoys pivoted.
Celtic instead went for O’Riley, securing a deal to lure him up to Scotland having impressed with MK Dons.
O’Riley racked up seven goals and five assists in 26 outings for MK Dons this season, starting to live up to the potential he showed at Fulham.
On Wednesday night, Celtic handed O’Riley a first start as they took on Hearts at Tynecastle.
O’Riley impressed, picking up an assist on his Celtic debut by crossing for Giorgos Giakoumakis to score from close range.
The 21-year-old will now be looking to kick on with Celtic, and he’s certainly given himself an ideal platform.
Celtic were far from the only team interested in signing O’Riley, with Russell Martin keen to reunite at Swansea City.
Martin – a former Rangers defender – has now shared his opinion on O’Riley with The Scottish Sun.
Martin has hailed O’Riley as a ‘pressing machine’, praising his athletic ability – which certainly plays into Ange Postecoglou’s style perfectly.
The Swansea boss also praised O’Riley’s intelligence, believing he has the brains to go with his athleticism.
Martin even predicted that Celtic will earn a huge profit on O’Riley in the future, as he is convinced that the midfielder will play at the ‘very top’ of the game in the future.
“Physically, he’s fantastic, He was a pressing machine, scored a few goals, got some assists and could play deeper or higher,” said Martin. “He played higher up for us most of the time because that was his preference. He ended up deeper this season but still got goals. He can do pretty much everything. He has good vision, he’s a good athlete and is an extremely articulate boy. He’s one of the most intelligent footballers I’ve ever worked with.”
“I’m convinced he’ll go on to play at the very top, but a huge part of his journey now is playing at a club as big as Celtic. Playing in Europe and all that, I don’t think any of that will faze him. I’m gutted we couldn’t get him, but I’m really pleased for him. MK have done brilliantly out of it, in terms of an investment over a year. He’s one of a number we brought in with no or very little money and sold for massive profit. Celtic have done brilliantly out of it too. His value as an asset and a financial investment makes it a no-brainer. He’ll be worth a lot more in a very short period of time,” he added.
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