A lot of important players have left Celtic in recent times, only to find out that the grass is not greener on the other side. Just look at Jota, who made a return to the club after merely 18 months away, having failed at both Al-Ittihad and Rennes. On the other hand, Kyogo left for the same French team in the winter and already looks set to leave, with Bournemouth and Brentford looking like possible destinations for the Japanese forward.
One former Celtic player who finds himself in a tough position as well is Matt O'Riley. He left the Hoops to join Brighton & Hove Albion last summer in a Scottish-record move.
His time with the Seagulls has been shaky so far. He suffered an injury early in the season and it look him until the latter portion of the campaign to find his feet at the club.
To be fair, O'Riley did seem to find his form towards the end of the campaign. He started six of the last eight games and contributed with goals and assists, including a match-winning assist against Liverpool, who are the Premier League champions. Overall, he had 11 starts and 21 appearances in the Premier League. Clearly not enough for someone of his quality and potential.
Celtic hero admits frustration amid Everton rumours
It looks like O'Riley is not completely happy with his situation at Brighton & Hove Albion amid rumours linking him with teams like Everton, AS Roma and more. It has to do with him not getting to play in his favoured position.
As reported by Sussex World, O'Riley said while speaking to the Danish media:
"It makes it difficult to show off when you play a position you’re not completely happy with.
"I can play better for the team if I play the number 8 position, but I can play well in other positions.
"You can say it in a way that is not aggressive. If you are honest with another person, you don’t lose anything. The coach can always say he doesn’t agree."
Brighton & Hove Albion are not the type of team to give up on a player after just one season. Yet, O'Riley has been heavily linked with a move away this summer and some very reliable sources have added to the speculation, which suggests that there is definitely some substance to the matter. Let's see what the future holds for the Danish international.