The Celtic midfielder was handed his first international cap but suffered defeat against a few familiar faces
MATT O’RILEY’s Denmark debut wasn’t quite the dream start he was hoping for.
But the Celtic midfielder was still on the end of some lofty comparisons from onlookers who continue to be impressed by the 22-year-old.
Crystal Palace are keen on the playmaker and it’s also believed Newcastle and Leicester have watched him in action.
Arsenal and Manchester United have also been mentioned in connection with a transfer for the former Fulham trainee.
He was eligible for both England and Denmark but became a regular at Under-21 level for the latter and was handed his maiden start for them against Northern Ireland tonight at Windsor Park.
In doing so, he wore Denmark legend Christian Eriksen’s number 10 jersey (who wasn’t in the squad).
Northern Ireland won 2-0 in their final Euro 2024 qualifying fixture.
O’Riley said after the game: “I’m obviously proud to have played my first game. It’s a strange feeling with it being a loss but like you said, it’s still a cap for your country which is something to be proud of but yeah, I’d like to help a bit more going forward in terms of winning more games.
“I think we prepared well but I think we didn’t really deserve to win.
“I thought (Northern) Ireland defended really well and worked really hard so credit to them.
“Obviously I want to play regularly for my country going forward and really impact games here.
“We’ve got a very strong midfield but I still feel like I’m more than comfortable to play the level.
“For now it’s just back to Celtic and try and perform as well as I can to make more squads going forward.”
Former Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan, who played 54 times for Northern Ireland, is a big fan of O’Riley.Celtic ace Matt O’Riley compared to Frank Lampard after Denmark debut by Northern Ireland legend and Rangers cult hero | The Scottish Sun
Craigan said: “This season he’s taken his game to a new level.
“The one thing he needed to add is goals and he’s done that this season.
“He’s signed a new long term contract and he’s going to be going places.
“If you’re a Celtic supporter, you’ll enjoy watching him tonight.”
Fellow pundit and Northern Irish legend David Healy, who scored 36 goals in 95 games for his country to become their all-time top scorer, sees a bit of Chelsea icon Frank Lampard in O’Riley.
Healy, who spent 18 months at Rangers from 2011-12, where he scored four times, added: “He’s a wee bit like Frank Lampard. He makes those delayed runs into the box.”
O’Riley was up against a number of familiar faces to Scottish football fans on the night in Belfast.
Conor Hazard, who left Celtic in the summer after a decade to sign for Plymouth Argyle, started in goal.
St Mirren duo Conor McMenamin and Caolan Boyd-Munce were on the bench alongside ex-Hearts striker Conor Washington, Motherwell loanee Brodie Spencer, and former Rangers and Kilmarnock winger Jordan Jones.Rangers starlet Ross McCausland was also named among the subs despite him having picked up a knock against Finland whilst making his international debut.
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