Superlatives continue to rush in for Celtic midfielder star Matt O'Riley - with former MK Dons boss Russell Martin calling him 'a super pro'.
Celtic appeared to have landed a bargain when they signed the former Fulham youngster from the third-tier of English football for just £1.5million, and that became a bargain in every sense of the word as soon as the Danish Under-21 international took to the Parkhead pitch.
Winning the Scottish Premiership last season, O'Riley has played a huge part in securing an incredible double, which could be added to when Celtic play Inverness Caledonian Thistle in early June's Scottish Cup Final. But whilst his talents are clear to see by those north of the border, former boss Martin - who looks increasingly likely to join recently-relegated Southampton in the coming weeks - has been the latest to wax lyrical over the playmaker.
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Martin said via Sky Sports : "I got a call from an agent telling me he needed somewhere to train.
"I just thought 'right, okay, we can have a look at him'. I was aware of him, but that he'd been at a higher level and was on the radar of clubs like Dortmund.
"That first day…. Wow. What a technician. We knew we had a player there from the first day and that perhaps we might not get a chance to sign someone of this quality at League One level very often.
"But after a few weeks, it was Matt who came to me and said 'I really like the way Dons play, can we do something? He had the likes of Burnley and Southampton looking at him. Pete Winkleman the chairman was really good to be fair, and we gave him a contract.
"In the first few games for us, he was incredible. We played Spurs in pre-season and he was outstanding against them. We went and played at Rochdale on a Tuesday night; it was freezing and the pitch was an ice rink, but Matt put on a masterclass.
"We knew then he was above our level - and it was because of his mentality as much as anything. He backed himself. Myself and my staff left for Swansea and we tried to bring him there. It was a very sad moment for me when the deal we tried to do fell down, but then he went to Celtic and he's just kept on progressing - and I'm not surprised.
"It's his mentality that sets him apart. He's supremely confident and a super pro; his diet is spot on, and he's really athletic, more than he is given credit for. He's got everything to play at the top - for Denmark and in the Premier League."
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