Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley admits he wants to play regularly in the Champions League when opts to leave the Scottish champions.
The 22-year-old has had a whirlwind 12 months since arriving in the Scottish Premiership from MK Dons, helping Ange Postecoglou's side to lift the title and secure a place among Europe's elite this season. The Danish under-21 international faced off against the likes of Real Madrid superstars Luka Modric and Toni Kroos during the group stage, and is now dreaming of becoming a regular in the Champions League after his introduction.
O'Riley has endured a steep learning curve this term and has battled with Aaron Mooy for a place in the starting line-up, but is setting the bar high for the future. Speaking to Danish outlet TV2, O'Riley was quizzed about playing in the Champions League group stage this term with the Hoops. He said: "It's hard for me to just look back on it (the Champions League) and say it's crazy.
"We play matches all the time, so there is no time for that. But when I do it, I can see that it's crazy. I have always thought that if I work hard enough, I can achieve anything."
He was then pressed on reaching making a return to the tournament regularly with a move to a Premier League, La Liga and Serie A branded as "attractive leagues". O'Riley responded: "Now I have played against Luka Modric and Toni Kroos and I know we lost, but I still felt I played well. Maybe I can take the leap to playing regularly at that level."
O'Riley appears in no rush to leave Glasgow's east end as he admits he has been overwhelmed by the size of Celtic since his arrival. He continued: "I played my first game after two or three days, and after a week I had played three games and faced Rangers. It went really fast, and when I first landed, I also thought: 'What the hell is going on?'
"I must say that I was surprised by how big the club actually is. I didn't know there would be so many fans who could recognise me from the start when I walked down the street."
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