Celtic’s Matt O’Riley could be heading for a World Cup call-up

Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley is dreaming of going to the World Cup with Denmark later this year.

The 21-year-old qualifies through his mother who is Danish and is being wooed by the Scandinavians who are excited by his potential.

The Danes sent their Under-21 manager Jesper Sorensen and national assistant boss – and former Hoops favourite – Morten Wieghorst to Glasgow last week to watch him in action against Bodo/ Glimt and discuss plans for the future with the player.

Wieghorst spoke after the tie about the need for O’Riley to commit himself and there was no disguising the latter’s enthusiasm.

“If they did call me up I would be very honoured,” said the Celt, who is also eligible to represent England and Norway.

“Obviously I am half-Danish through my mum so it’s something I am interested in.

“I like the country, have family over there who I am close with and can speak a decent amount of the language.

“Their coaches seem like nice guys and the World Cup is definitely an aim in the back of my head, I will be honest.

“Some people would say it’s a long shot but at the same time I’m playing for Celtic and hopefully next season we are in a bigger competition, the Champions League.

“Hopefully that gets me recognition to get on to the international stage.”

© Ross MacDonald / SNS Group

On paper, he faces a tough task to achieve his ambition – Denmark stormed through qualification for Qatar winning all their games without conceding a goal.

O’Riley, however, insists that strength is part of the appeal for him.

“Yes, Denmark do have a very good team and that’s why in my head it’s not a bad option,” he said.

“They are a strong side and they showed that at the Euros and in the World Cup qualifiers.

“I can only take it game by game here and hopefully the rest takes care of itself.”

Wieghorst, part of Wim Jansen’s Celtic side who blocked Rangers’ bid to complete 10-in-a-row by winning the title in 1997-98, believes he is on the right path.

“There is no better place for Matt to be because he is playing under pressure here,” he said.

“There are expectations and when things are not going as well as expected the fans will let the players know this is below par but that is the way it is playing for a big team.

“I have watched all his games so far and he has done well. He looks composed.

“Out of the games I’ve seen, today’s has been the most difficult for the team with Bodo showing themselves to be tactically astute and very well set up.

“That affects the individual but Matt has shown in glimpses that he has got a very good left foot and is good on the ball.

“He has got good vision, he sees passes, and he got his goal the other week there which was good.

“So overall I would say he has done very well.”

The Danish coaching team will get another chance to assess their target this week when Celtic travel to Norway to try to salvage their Conference League tie against Bodo Glimt.

With the Hoops’ 3-1 down from the first leg, it looks a difficult task even though the scrapping of the away goals rule plays in their favour.

“I will be honest, I don’t actually think they were better than us in the first game,” said O’Riley.

“We knew they were going to be a good side. They went to Roma and put on a good performance there.

“But it was a fairly even game and we were on top for most of it.

“We just switched off a little bit and didn’t take our chances, overall we just lacked a bit of quality going forward – myself included.

“I felt I could have done a few things better but that’s football, it can’t be perfect every game

“We will try and put it right in the second leg. We said that in the changing-room afterwards. We are going to come back out and give it all we have.

“There is a real belief in the team and I think the fans believe in us too.”