THERE is very little that Matt O’Riley leaves to chance in his quest to become the best footballer he can possibly be, and it is far from blind luck that his stamina is at a level that allows him to pop up with 97th minute match winning goals, like the one he recently scored at Motherwell.
O’Riley, fresh from his first involvement with the senior Denmark squad, has revealed how an examination of his diet and some tweaks to what he is putting into his body has allowed him to find the perfect recipe for success.
It seems to be working, with the midfielder having already bettered his goal tally from last season, and he says that the improvements to his diet have been a key factor in allowing him to perform at such a consistently high level throughout matches, and on a week-to-week basis.
“I just want to keep improving at Celtic,” O’Riley said.
“I want to do my best here and the rest will take care of itself. I am probably fitter than I was last year and stronger. That helps late in a game when you still have the ability to run off your opponent.
“Mentally, this is the best I have felt. I am more open and free on the pitch and that helps me play freely. It also helps me take risks without worrying about what will happen.
“I’ve tweaked a couple of things with my diet. Every so often I assess what I am doing and tweak some things. It’s nothing drastic but diet and sleep is something I am quite diligent about.
“I have just tweaked the amount of carbs and veg I am eating, and how much I am snacking. It started last season, and I just did it to see how I felt on a day-to-day basis.
“There are good people here and it makes sense to speak to them. If there is something that isn’t working, I’m not worried about changing it. I’m not superstitious.
“I’m constantly changing and looking for improvement. I enjoy that.”
There have been tweaks to his position too, with new manager Rodgers now expecting O’Riley to be more of a box-to-box midfielder than he may previously have been.
“My role has changed a tiny bit,” he said.
“Defensively, I’m probably in our box more than I was last season. Offensively, I’m also in the other box more. That helps with being fitter and going box to box.
“Getting in the box has been a big one - I am just constantly trying to get there. So, my role hasn’t changed too much but I maybe have slightly more license to get forward, while also having more defensive responsibilities.
“We have the right team model to help with success on that front and at Celtic, if you get into positions, you will score goals.”
As well as the reward of goals and international honours with Denmark, O’Riley’s performances in September were marked yesterday with the Premiership Player of the Month award, another nod of recognition for his impressive form.
“It’s nice to get the award,” he said.
“It’s not really something I am chasing, but it is nice. My mum and dad and family are all really proud of me and that’s the reason I enjoy it more.
“It was really good to be part of the Denmark squad. Everyone was really welcoming from the start.
“Even the big guys on the outside were some of the most down to earth people, and that made it easy to settle in. I found it pretty easy to get comfortable.
“I’d been in a few training camps before but that was my first proper call-up.
“However, I knew enough of the faces to settle in and integrate.”
