The former Celtic star made the move to the English Premier League outfit for a huge £25million fee
16:17, 01 Apr 2025Updated 16:19, 01 Apr 2025
Matt O'Riley has had a frustrating time at Brighton since moving from Celtic
Matt O'Riley has had a frustrating time at Brighton since moving from Celtic
Matt O'Riley is ready to answer a Brighton SOS call as the big summer signing FINALLY gets set to show why they paid out for him.
The former Celtic midfielder moved to the English Premier League club for a whopping £25million price tag but he's suffered a frustrating debut campaign at the Seagulls with injuries and the form of Georginio Rutter restricting him to just 14 appearances in all competitions.
Article continues below
Boss Fabian Hurzeler has his eyes on European football next term and with his side in seventh spot and just two points behind Chelsea in fourth, they are still dreaming of Champions League football next term with nine games of the season remaining.
O'Riley - a regular in Europe's top domestic competition with Celtic - could now play a starring role in getting his new club to the riches of the elite tournament starting with a home clash against fellow Champions League chasers and quarter-finalists this season Aston Villa.
Speaking about O'Riley in his media conference, Hurzeler explained: "He (O’Riley) is in great shape. He had some great training sessions.
"He made a great impression. It's also a positive thing that all these players who didn't play so much this season have a big motivation.
"They have a big energy, and I think exactly these kind of characters, with this energy inside of them, we need for the rest of the season. I'm happy that he's there. I'm happy that Brajan Gruda’s there and I'm sure that they will be good replacements for Georgi."
On injuries handing the likes of O'Riley the big break he has been craving, he continued: "We see more an opportunity and a chance because we always were able to replace the players who were injured.
"It's another chance for Brajan Gruda, another chance for Matt O’Riley, another chance for Eiran Cashin. Lewis Dunk is coming back. So I see it more as an opportunity.
"I will never complain about the injuries. Georgi and Adam were in a great shape, but that's football. We have to deal with it.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler
"We have had to deal with the injuries this season. We are always a team who were able to replace the injured players and now other players have the chance to step in.
"That's why I'm really looking forward to it – the players who have the possibility now and the chance to start the game or to replace the injured players. They can show their potential and therefore we try to help them, that they can get integrated as quickly as possible."
Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.
Article continues below
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.