Matt O'Riley turning on Celtic style is bittersweet as Brendan Rodgers offers assurance amid transfer hype

It's a bittersweet experience for Celtic fans right now watching Matt O’Riley strut his stuff for the side, writes Michael Gannon in the USA .

The playmaker could be forgiven for allowing his thoughts to drift elsewhere, with fevered transfer speculation that would send most heads into a spin. Everyone knows O’Riley is being pursued by a host of clubs around the continent. There’s the concrete interest from Atalanta in Italy but a host of others waiting in the wings to enter into a bidding war.

Hoops fans are almost resigned to losing the 23-year-old this summer if a record-breaking offer lands in the Parkhead inbox. But in the meantime, it’s been business as usual for the player. Perhaps it’s a case of enjoying him while they can but boss Brendan Rodgers is adamant O’Riley’s focus is still fully on the job at Celtic until he’s told otherwise. The midfielder was at it again at the weekend, with another five-star display in the 4-0 canter against DC United.

It could have been a night for the pipe and slippers. The MLS outfit were not at full strength, it was about 30 degrees and the strange part-grass, part-plastic pitch looked like a worn-out carpet at a dodgy nightclub. Yet O’Riley glided over it, running the show, scoring a couple of goals and looking like a guy who is 100 per cent committed to the jersey.

It didn’t go unnoticed by his gaffer. Rodgers said: “Yeah, his attitude is first class. There’s absolutely no change in Matt’s demeanour or happiness. He respects and knows the privilege it is to play for Celtic. He knows what Celtic has given him and the development that’s come from being here. So it’s not a burden for him to be at Celtic.

“Clearly he’s developed into a fantastic player and when you do that at