Matt O'Riley 'watched' by Newcastle as Celtic star singled out during Denmark scouting bonanza

Celtic star Matt O'Riley was reportedly watched by Newcastle United as he impressed for Denmark U-21s earlier this week.

The creative midfielder, a snip at just £1m from MK Dons back in January, has rapidly raised his profile with a string of eye-catching displays for Ange Postecoglou's side over the past 10 months. Manchester United, Arsenal and Leicester City have been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old former Fulham youth.

Football Scotland report no fewer than 39 scouts attended Denmark's U-21 Euro qualification play-off second leg against Croatia on Tuesday night - with the Magpies keeping a close eye on the Parkhead favourite. O'Riley netted the opening goal with a well-taken header after just 10 minutes but the Danes eventually crashed out following a penalty shootout. It's said the likes of Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Roma and Manchester City also had scouts in attendance. Rangers, too, are believed to have been represented at the Vejle Stadium.

During the summer transfer window, O'Riley admitted he was aware of interest but maintained he wasn't giving it much thought. He said: “I know Leicester showed a lot of interest in me. I think Newcastle were there too.

“I didn’t think about it because nobody from Celtic told me Newcastle had made an offer. It wasn’t like that, so there wasn’t much to think about.”

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