Matt O’Riley’s £25million move from Celtic to Brighton in August 2024 promised to be a major step in the midfielder’s career, but it hasn’t been the smooth transition he had hoped for.
With a series of injury setbacks and struggles to adapt to English Premier League football, the next few months could be crucial in determining whether he has a long-term future at the Amex Stadium or if a return to Parkhead might be on the cards.
That’s the verdict of former Brighton boss Gus Poyet, who isn’t ready to give up on O’Riley just yet, but acknowledges the step up in standard from the Scottish Premiership.
Brighton’s fans were hopeful that O’Riley’s arrival would bolster their midfield, but things haven’t gone to plan for the 24-year-old so far.
He was forced off in tears just nine minutes into his debut during an EFL Cup tie against Crawley Town back in September with an ankle injury, a setback that kept him sidelined for over two months.
At the time of writing, O’Riley has made just 14 appearances for Brighton, scoring once.
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With current manager Fabian Hürzeler pushing for a European position, O’Riley’s involvement in the team has been limited, even when fully fit, leading many to question whether he can regain the form that made him a standout at Celtic.
“I think there’s a way back for Matt O’Riley because when you play and perform for a club like Celtic, there’s always a chance for him to come back,” Poyet said.
“The Premier League is a bigger change than people think. Especially moving from the Scottish Premiership with all respect to the league. There’s a quantity of games if you’re a good player. There’s no rest in the Premier League and he had his injury at the start of the season.”
Poyet also pointed to O’Riley’s need to adjust to the tactical requirements of his new club, suggesting that the ex-Celtic favourite is still learning the nuances of Hürzeler’s system.
“There’s still time,” Poyet added during an interview with Tipsbladet. “He needs to understand what Fabian wants from his midfielders, which is different to what you can and want to do on your own.
"It’s a different kind of football. He needs to understand his position, his role, the angles of receiving the ball, when and how, the touches. There’s so many things that you have to get or you don’t. The next three to six months will be important.”
Celtic have brought Kieran Tierney and Jota back to the club, and it remains to be seen if this trend could continue into the summer transfer window.
