Matt O'Riley pens 'difficult message' to Celtic fans after turbulent week for new Brighton star

Matt O’Riley has penned his farewell message to Celtic fans after confirming his move to Brighton earlier this week.

O’Riley made the move from Celtic to the Seagulls for a whopping £25million which could eventually rise to £30million.

He expressed his delight at the move in his first media interview with the Premier League side, but things quickly went awry when he suffered an injury just minutes into his debut on Tuesday night.

The Denmark international was the victim of a violent tackle by Crawley Town during an EFL Cup match and was forced to limp off the pitch in severe pain. O’Riley will now need surgery to resolve the problem and could miss several months of the 2024/25 season.

Matt O’Riley says goodbye to Celtic fans

Posting on Instagram, O’Riley made it clear that he would miss Celtic, saying: “This is not an easy message to write but I just wanted to express how grateful I am to have been able to represent this special football club.

“I was fortunate to work in an environment and team full of great people. All of my teammates and staff made my job easy from day one and made me feel like part of the family.

“The joy I felt wearing the badge and playing in front of you is second to none. Every game has been an absolute privilege and I am grateful to have been at the club during a period of success.

“When they say this is a club like no other, it really is. You are one of a kind and it is down to all of you to provide such an incredible atmosphere week in and week out.

“Thank you for allowing me to share these moments with you. I will always be a Celt and I will always support the club.”

O’Riley will always be remembered by Celtic

Signed for just £1.5million from MK Dons, O’Riley went on to make a superb contribution to Celtic’s side across 134 appearances.

He has shown class on and off the pitch, scoring an impressive number of goals in 2023/24 and also demonstrating his commitment to the local community with charity work.

Overall, he has been one of Celtic’s most successful signings in recent times and the healthy profit he has brought to the club will help the Brendan Rodgers project move forward.

His rapport with the Celtic public is clear and there is no doubt that wherever he goes in the world for years to come he will receive a warm welcome from those who support the Bhoys.