What now for O'Riley's life after Celtic?

Speculation astir Matt O'Riley's early had been a regular changeless successful Scotland's media agelong earlier confirmation of his transportation to Brighton & Hove Albion from Celtic for what is apt to beryllium a Scottish grounds fee.

Indeed, since Atletico Madrid had an approach rejected successful January, it has seemed only a matter of clip earlier personification matched Celtic's valuation for nan elegantly influential 23-year-old.

This summer, it had been Atalanta who were astir powerfully linked pinch nan London-born Denmark world - until Brighton made nan decisive move.

So what are nan Premier League nine getting and really mightiness his departure impact Celtic?

A autochthonal of Hounslow, O'Riley joined Fulham's academy astatine nan property of eight, graduating to a first-team debut arsenic a 16-year-old successful an EFL Cup triumph distant to Wycombe Wanderers.

However, having made conscionable 5 appearances and only 1 successful nan convention arsenic a substitute, successful nan 3 years thereafter, nan England younker world rejected nan connection of a caller statement and joined MK Dons successful League One.

With 10 goals successful 54 appearances, astir each of them starts, O'Riley had already shown his extremity threat from midfield.

Those performances persuaded Celtic to ammunition retired a reported £1.5m successful January 2022 to lucifer his merchandise clause.

Eligible to correspond Denmark and Norway via his mother's broadside of nan family, it only took 3 months starring successful nan Premiership for O'Riley to beryllium called up to Denmark Under-21s.

Four years connected and he has accumulated 3 convention winners' medals, 2 for nan Scottish Cup and 1 for nan League Cup arsenic good arsenic captious acquisition connected nan European nine stage.

O'Riley's statistic are impressive.

Since arriving astatine Celtic, he has provided much assists than anyone successful nan Scottish Premiership, his 29 being six much than Rangers skipper James Tavernier.

O'Riley ranks 3rd erstwhile combining goals and assists, his 54 involvements only 2 down Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland and 7 adrift of Tavernier, Rangers' regular punishment taker.

O'Riley (217) is 2nd only to Tavernier (275) and good up of nan adjacent best, Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong (173) successful position of chances created - and only 10 down nan Rangers skipper erstwhile considering only those from unfastened play.

As for touches successful nan box, O'Riley outshines immoderate Premiership player, his 555 being much than Shankland's 498 and good up of team-mate Daizen Maeda and caller Girona seizure from Aberdeen, Bojan Miovski.

O'Riley is besides 4th champion for successful crosses down Tavernier, Armstrong and erstwhile Rangers left-back Borna Barisic - and his 25 goals complete nan past 2 years is only bettered by 4 strikers and Tavernier.

Those steadily improving numbers mean O'Riley had perchance now overtaken skipper Callum McGregor and Japan's Reo Hatate successful position of value to Celtic.

The trio person been cardinal to a scintillating commencement to this play for Brendan Rodgers' side.

Acknowledging their domiciled past week, nan head said: "In my history arsenic a coach, nan move midfield 3 is ever important.

"It's ne'er astir 1 player, it's ever astir nan three. And I deliberation that it was astir apt only into nan second stages of past play that those 3 came together.

"And I deliberation you've seen nan travel and nan dynamism and really it each makes nan squad function."

Rodgers had many times said he did not want to suffer "a superb player" pinch "phenomenal mentality", saying he already needed an other cardinal midfielder to bolster his squad for nan Champions League moreover if O'Riley stayed.

Soundings from Celtic suggested it would return an connection northbound of nan club's reported £25m grounds income for some Kieran Tierney and Jota to prise O'Riley away.

After McGregor and Hatate some scored successful O'Riley's absence successful Sunday's 3-0 triumph complete St Mirren, Rodgers expressed his vexation astatine nan slow wheels of Celtic recruitment.

However, he vowed that nan squad would beryllium improved earlier nan transportation model closed and that velocity will only surely hasten equipped pinch nan O'Riley money.

O'Riley will person been disappointed to person missed retired connected nan Denmark squad for this summer's Euro 2024 finals.

After handing him a commencement successful their 2-0 qualifying conclusion by Northern Ireland successful Belfast, past caput coach Kasper Hjulmand explained successful March he thought O'Riley had six amended midfielders successful beforehand of him.

O'Riley will possibly deliberation he has a amended chance of adding to his 2 caps now that erstwhile Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst has been appointed caretaker boss, but playing regularly successful 1 of nan apical leagues will thief his cause.

Europa League winners Atalanta had appeared to beryllium favourites for his signature, but aft reportedly failing pinch a bid of bids, nan Serie A nine past week signed Serbia world Lazar Samardzic from Udinese.

Unlike nan Italians - and Celtic - Brighton cannot connection European shot this season, but they person been investing heavy this summertime nether caller caput coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Pascal Gross has joined Borussia Dortmund and Adam Lallana moved to Southampton, while protect midfielder Mats Wieffer has arrived from Feyenoord and Turkey world Ferdi Kadioglu is besides connected nan verge of a move from Fenerbahce.

Hurzeler, who led St Pauli to promotion to nan Budesliga earlier becoming nan youngest imperishable caput coach successful Premier League history, sees nan latest presence arsenic a spot a "specialist".

"He is very bully astatine occupying and attacking nan correct space," he told his nine website. "He likes making heavy runs and knows erstwhile to onslaught astatine nan correct time.

"He enjoys getting guardant and attacking nan opponent's punishment area, but he besides has a bully protect instinct. That equilibrium makes him special."

O'Riley has a languid moving style that is somewhat deceiving fixed his qualities arsenic a perpetually involved, pivotal all-rounder.

A somewhat different subordinate to nan much protect Billy Gilmour, who impressed Hurzeler against Manchester United connected Saturday, but nan latest presence will further substance speculation astir nan Scotland midfielder's early amid reported liking from Napoli.