Matt O'Riley: Making Waves in Marseille

A late addition to Olympique de Marseille this summer, Danish international Matt O'Riley has impressed since joining the club. Learn more about his unique story in our latest profile.

An international journey

Born in England, a revelation in Scotland, and a Danish international (also eligible for Ireland), to see Matt O'Riley now plying his trade in France in Ligue 1 McDonald's is just the latest step in the young midfielder's career, and looks to be perhaps the most impressive, if his recent displays are anything by which to go. 

Born in the London borough of Hounslow to a Danish mother and an English father, O'Riley came through the academy at Fulham -- the same club that also helped to polish another player who turned in an impressive display this weekend -- Martial Godo. Despite being a regular with England's youth setups, he was unable to break into the first team, and left for MK Dons, having spent six months in the depths of the pandemic training on his own or with his father owing to the lockdown. 

In his season-and-a-half with the club, he proved himself a revelation, and soon joined Celtic, where he went from strength to strength as the club reeled off three successive titles and O'Riley was named in the team of the season in his final campaign, 2023/24. A big-money move to Brighton followed, but injuries saw him struggle for playing time, and the season dawned with no shortage of questions over his future.

What a signing. Matt O'Riley. 🇩🇰🪄 pic.twitter.com/zLdWYeaFa4

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 6, 2025

A surprise move to Marseille

Come the beginning of the season, O'Riley joing Marseille would have seemed a surprise indeed. The club were well-stocked in central midfield, with Angel Gomes having joined the vastly experienced trio of Geoffrey Kondogbia, Adrien Rabiot and another Dane, Pierre-Emile Højberg. However, Rabiot's departure saw the door open for O'Riley and despite the competition, he backed himself to make an impact for an ambitious club playing in the Champions League.

A regular since arriving, O'Riley has often been deployed in a deeper role by Roberto de Zerbi, and while there was some initial hesitation on his part, the Italian's encouragement and long leash when it comes to attacking have made him a staunch admirer of the young Dane. Speaking on his play this season -- and in particular his chemistry with compatriot Højberg, de Zerbi said "He has a way of positioning his body, of orienting it with the ball, which is different from that of Højbjerg, and he can fit into our attacking actions to score." 

And score he did on Saturday, helping his side to an impressive 3-0 win over Metz which had taken them provisionally top. After similarly delivering strong displays in the Champions League and Le Classique against Paris Saint-Germain, O'Riley looks set to join Mason Greenwood in having a massive impact after having crossed the channel. 

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