Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is hoping that Matt O’Riley will continue to concentrate on his football as interest from English Premier League teams increases.

Twelve months ago, the Danish Under 21 international was still playing for MK Dons and Postecoglou believes that the experience of having to work his way up the lower divisions of English football will help him keep his feet firmly on the ground:

“Perspective is always a good thing. You could say Matt has had a meteoric rise, but this time last year he was playing with MK Dons in League One, so I think he understands the other side of football. He was literally training in the park with his dad and a personal trainer not all that long ago, so he’s seen that side of it.!”

“When things are going well you understand that the only reason things are going well is because you are doing certain things, you’re staying in the present, you’re working hard and making sure you are the best footballer you can be. You can’t worry too much about speculation or what the next step is – the time when footballers maybe fall into the trap is when everything’s gone well for them and there are no setbacks.”

“Even the best players in the world have setbacks, and Matty has had that. It’s been fantastic for his development as a person as well as a footballer to understand that, as well as things are going now, they’ll only keep going well if he keeps doing what he’s doing.”

Newcastle reportedly scouted O’Riley during the last international break, while Leicester, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool are also believed to be keeping tabs on the midfielder’s progress.

Even though the Hoops only signed the 21-year-old for £1.5m back in January, it has been suggested that the Scottish Premiership champions could now demand between £15m and £20m for the player.

With the next transfer window still three months away, though, Postecoglou is right to be encouraging O’Riley to stay focused on his performances for Celtic.