Matt O'Riley plays the game with a maturity and authority that makes it difficult to remember he’s only 22 years old.
Just as there are times when supporters, social media and, yes, those in Press boxes, also forget that under the shirt they wear on a Saturday there lies a human being who has the same worries and stresses as those of us who don’t kick a ball for a living.
Celtic midfielder O’Riley admits he underwent a period midway through the season when issues outside football took a toll on his performances, but the Danish Under 21 international is now in a much better place and hopes to enjoy a red letter day on Sunday when Celtic travel to Tynecastle with a title win in their sights. To be fair to the former MK Dons player, his on-field displays may not have hit the standards that he wants or expects from himself, but nor did his form decline sharply enough for anyone other than those closest to him to notice.
To be fair to the former MK Dons player, his on-field displays may not have hit the standards that he wants or expects from himself, but nor did his form decline sharply enough for anyone other than those closest to him to notice.
But for a player who has played 66 games for Celtic since arriving last January, and who has tasted domestic defeat only twice in that time, it was enough to see him spend a spell on the bench, while still making a meaningful contribution when he came on, as he did most weeks.
Now, though, O’Riley is flying again, as proved by his excellent performance in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi final win over Rangers.
“I think I’ve played pretty well in the last four or five games,” he said as he helped promote a Celtic Charity Foundation initiative in conjunction with Parkinsons UK. "People will always have something to say and I’m not going to say that I didn’t have a slight rough patch around the new year, for various reasons.
“There is stuff off the pitch that might not always be obvious to the naked eye, and probably gets overlooked because you’re seen as a footballer instead of as a person.”
O’Riley didn’t go into specifics but his comments about the effect of social media, in particular, emphasises the point that while everything might seem happy and shiny on the outside, it isn’t always the case.
“Social media is a platform where people only post the good things in their life,” he added. “People don’t go on there and say they’re having a really sh** day. That doesn’t really happen.
“That’s where we all have to be a bit careful, and bear in mind when you’re looking at someone’s Instagram that you’re only seeing the good things in their life.
“I’m sure that every single person posting things like that has something dark going on behind the scenes as well. I genuinely only use social media to post, other than that I don’t check it at all because I don’t think it does me any good.
“I’m in a good place mentally [now] and usually when that’s the case, the rest takes care of itself. I was at a good level last week but I think I can still play better.”
O’Riley made a huge jump in standard and profile when moving from League One in England to Celtic 17 months ago and admits there are times when he has been too hard on himself when it comes to analysing his performances.
“It comes more from pressure in my own head than externally. As much as external noise has some effect, the only pressure I have comes from the standards I set myself every day.
“Previously in the season, and last season, I set quite a high bar, so maintaining that level and looking to improve on it was always going to be tough. I’m still pretty young as well so I’ve got a lot still to learn on the way.
“All these experiences, good and bad, should put me in a good place.
“I’m getting better at trying not to be so hard on myself. There have been times in the past when I’ve not had as good a game as I wanted to, and then there are little things you carry with you.
“I don’t think that’s a good approach to have, because you end up taking them into training. That’s something I’ve improved on a lot and I think that’s why you now see me in a better place on the pitch.
“If you care so much about what you do, it puts extra weight on your shoulders. But that’s not to say I don’t love it. Even all these bad times, I’m going to look back on them with enjoyment because they taught me so much about myself and about football in general.
“My mindset is that I just want to be as good a footballer as I can be. I’m not someone who has ever followed the pay cheques, and that’s reflected in past decisions in my career: I always try to do what’s best for my career, whether that’s taking a step down, eating the right food, loads of little things off the pitch that don’t get seen.
“I always make every decision to be a better footballer. Where that takes me, who knows, but naturally I’d like to try to play at the very highest level.”
O’Riley goes back to where it started for him on Sunday, having made his debut for Celtic in a 2-1 win at Tynecastle last January. "It was a fun night,” he smiled. “It was three days after I signed, so I was kind of thrown straight in but it was probably the best place to be thrown straight in because it was good preparation for Scottish football.
“It all happened very quickly and I didn’t have any time to think about it. I just did it.” It was a hostile atmosphere. Their fans probably aren’t too fond of us, naturally, but it’s those kind of games we enjoy most as players.”
Celtic FC Foundation is delighted to be teaming up with Parkinson’s UK and Glasgow Life to help deliver free weekly walking football sessions in Glasgow. Beginning at Glasgow Life’s Toryglen Regional Football Centre, the project will be free for people with Parkinson’s. For more information on this project, please contact cfcfoundation@celticfc.co.uk
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