There was an air of inevitability when Matt O'Riley swept the boards at Celtic's start-studded Player of the Year awards at the OVO Hydro earlier this month.
As expected, the Danish cap picked up a treble of gongs when he stepped up to the stage to accept Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Players' Player of the Year.
The midfielder has massively improved his game for the Hoops this season and has been pivotal in Celtic's double-winning success under Brendan Rodgers.
His increased goal tally has pulled Celtic through the trickier stages of this campaign, and this improvement has predictably caught the attention of numerous suitors.
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Back in October, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano suggested that it would take a Scottish transfer record to lure Matt O'Riley from Paradise. That set the speculative value at £25m on account of transfer fees attributed to previous Celtic sales of Kieran Tierney and Jota.
Since Romano's prediction, O'Riley has been capped twice by Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand and has gone on to enjoy a vintage campaign with his club, scoring 19 goals and chipping in with 18 assists in 48 appearances as Celtic wrapped up the double.
If £25m wasn't a serious enough fee for Celtic to consider, then the reported £50m seems pie-in-the-sky. There is no doubt, however, that O'Riley is the Parkhead side's biggest asset and a fee somewhere in between these two lofty figures will be where's the player's value is set.
Everyone associated with the club knew the quality of Matt O'Riley during his initial settling-in period under Ange Postecoglou, but no one could have imagined the heights this player would take his performance levels to.
When it came to the midfield trio utilised by Ange during his treble-winning second campaign, the veteran Aaron Mooy was often called upon, as the Australian midfielder enjoyed a stellar run of form in what would be his final season in professional football.
O'Riley had youth on his side, and following Mooy's retirement and Brendan Rodgers' return to the Celtic Park hot-seat, it was predicted on ACSOM that the classy midfielder would grow into one of the most improved players under the new gaffer.
That prediction rang true as O'Riley outperformed all expectations both domestically and in Europe, but how did this midfield playmaker go from being a £1.5m punt from MK Dons to becoming the jewel in Brendan Rodger's double-winning crown?
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Upping his attacking game
One of the criticisms of O'Riley's game last season was that he wasn't doing enough in an attacking sense. He was a strong presser who would showcase some neat and delicate touches on the field as well as possessing a good passing range.
He seemed to be an all-rounder, but there wasn't a particular part of his game that really stood out as his strongest attribute. That has all changed this season with his goal contribution figures attaining new levels compared to last season's four goals and 14 assists.
O'Riley has also performed well at the highest level, with three Champions League assists and a Player of the Match award against Atlético Madrid. the Spanish side were so impressed by the Celtic midfielder that they followed up his performance with a January bid and will, no doubt, be back in for the player this summer.
Off-the-field regime
For a player to maximise their success at a club like Celtic, they must have the correct mentality to match their ability. Former Parkhead boss, Ronny Deila, spoke about his own mantra when he was in Glasgow: "For me, to be professional is to be a 24-hour athlete. If not, then you can go and start working outside football."
Many players over the years have failed to demonstrate such an approach to their professional regime, but O'Riley has remained a model professional during his time at the club.
Practicing meditation and staying in regular contact with a friend who is a life coach in India has ensured that the player has maintained a strong mind-set during his time with Celtic. He has the type of winner's mentality that could see his performances improve even further.
Celtic fans will be hoping that we are able to enjoy the fruits of his labour for at least another season.
James McKenzie // @JamesWHMcKenzie
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