O’Riley comments on the Atleti transfer proposal and compares the Celtic title run to “all cup finals.”

With 40 club appearances, the midfielder has been outstanding this season with 12 goals and 16 assists across all competitions. The Danish international believes that Sunday’s trip to Ibrox, along with every other remaining game before and after the split, is a must-win since his form has been crucial to the team’s title push.

“Every game going forward is going to be crucial because every game is somewhat of a cup final for us and the Rangers, respectively, so it’s going to be a close contest on Sunday as well. “Everything matters,” he stated to Sky Sports. O’Riley attributes his success to both his coaching staff and his mindset, citing both as potential candidates for player of the year for the Hoops.

“How would I rate this season for myself? Much the same as any previous season, fairly eventful. Because I’m getting to play 90 minutes a lot, which is great for me, I believe I’ve learned a lot—probably the most in a season. I believe that mentally I’m probably in the best place I’ve ever been, and this has probably carried over to the field as well.

“Everything I’ve worked on off the field, like my meditation, talking to coaches, and other things, has advanced, and naturally, I’ve become a better player as well—experience always helps. However, I don’t think I’ve changed all that much from past seasons—I might have just been a little bit luckier.”

One team that shown interest in the playmaker in January was Atletico Madrid, who even filed a formal bid to bring him to the Metropolitano.

Even though O’Riley was touched by the attention, he acknowledges that the strain he placed on himself afterward caused him to have one or two bad days.

To tell the truth, I found the first two or three games following the transfer window to be mentally taxing because I felt like I had a little bit more pressure on my shoulders. However, after a while, I realized that I didn’t really know why I was putting extra pressure on myself and that I didn’t really need to change anything. I kind of moved on from that and concentrated on my contributions to the team; everything fell into place once more.

“Even if a season is successful, there will always be new obstacles to overcome. Bids are fantastic, of course, but if you don’t view things correctly, they could also work against you, so that’s something more to keep in mind moving forward.