Towards the end of the summer window, Brighton & Hove Albion signed Matt O’Riley from Celtic and offered him a contract until 2029.
The Denmark international made his debut for the Seagulls in their EFL Cup win over Crawley Town in August and picked up an injury in the same tie. He spent over two months on the sidelines and returned to the pitch earlier this month.
On November 9th, the midfielder came off the bench to score Brighton’s winner against Manchester City.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler is impressed with the summer signing and made this clear during a chat with Viaplay. His comments are relayed by Tipsbladet.
“Sometimes you can’t write history better than in football. Everyone was very happy for him; he deserved it after he worked very hard for that moment,” he said.
O’Riley spent two seasons at Celtic and his fine displays for the Scottish champions had attracted interest from several clubs. The Premier League side won the battle in the end and their manager is ready to help the 24-year-old further improve his game.
“Now it’s up to us and him to continue his development so that he comes back in good shape because I think it’s important in the Premier League to be in the best shape possible. We are here to help him and are confident that he will have a bright future,” Hurzeler explained.
The Seagulls coach is confident the former Celtic man have an important role as long as he commits himself for his development.
“His potential is huge in terms of technique, understanding of the game and mentality. For me, it’s about how hard he’s going to work in the future,” he added.
“He has the potential to be a really big player, a player who can play a big role for us at Brighton, but ultimately it’s up to him.”
