Russell Martin Makes Chelsea Claim As He Gives The Lowdown On New Celtic Signing Matt O’Riley

Russell Martin Makes Chelsea Claim As He Gives The Lowdown On New Celtic Signing Matt O’Riley
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Swansea manager Russell Martin says that Celtic have got a “pressing machine” in new signing Matt O’Riley.

Martin signed the midfielder when he was MK Dons head coach and he revealed how he managed to persuade the player to turn down the likes of Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund before he made the switch to the English League One side:

“He got offered a very good contract [at Fulham], but he was desperate to play. He didn’t want to be a squad player anymore and was backing his ability to play first-team football.”

“He didn’t think he’d get that chance at Fulham and was in talks with the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Southampton, Burnley, Chelsea. But nobody could agree compensation with Fulham as they wanted quite a bit of money… It took us three months to get something in place with Fulham. It was the January 2021 window by the time we did it.”

O’Riley had a successful twelve months with MK Dons before attracting more interest. Martin said he knew about a number of English Championship sides who wanted to sign him but he feels the 21-year-old made the right choice in moving to Celtic Park:

“Matty sees the bigger picture. He didn’t want to just go anywhere for the sake of going. He wanted to play in a team that dominates the ball, where he can flourish and excel, so I don’t think he’d have jumped in this window for any team. When I found out about Celtic I spoke to him and he was really keen because of the size of the club and the way they play. He was really impressed with the new manager too. He takes all of that into account.”

When asked about whether O’Riley will succeed in the Scottish Premiership, Martin was unequivocal in his response, saying the Englishman has all the attributes to thrive under the guidance of Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou:

“Physically, he’s fantastic, He was a pressing machine, scored a few goals, got some assists and could play deeper or higher. 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.”

For all intents and purposes, then, it appears Celtic have got themselves an absolute bargain by snapping up O’Riley for only £1.5m.

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Russell Martin Makes Chelsea Claim As He Gives The Lowdown On New Celtic Signing Matt O’Riley

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