Matt O’Riley’s Brighton career took an unfortunate turn just six minutes into his debut after a severe challenge forced him off the pitch. The former Celtic star, who recently completed a £30 million transfer from Parkhead to the Amex, was making his first appearance for the Seagulls in the Carabao Cup.
O’Riley’s debut quickly turned sour when Crawley Town defender Jay Williams delivered a high tackle, which many viewers labelled a “reckless” and “shocking” challenge. The incident occurred just inside Crawley’s half as O’Riley attempted to launch a counter-attack.
Shocker of a challenge on Matt 😣 pic.twitter.com/sUn19Khnns
— Craig (@CraigCelt) August 27, 2024
After sidestepping his initial marker, the Danish midfielder was met with a forceful, high tackle from Williams that left him sprawled on the ground in pain. The impact of the challenge required immediate medical attention, and O’Riley was subsequently replaced by Mark O’Mahony as he limped off the field.
The harsh tackle ignited a wave of anger among Celtic fans, who took to social media to express their fury and concern over the injury that could jeopardize O’Riley’s promising start in the Premier League.
Should have been a red card and a prison sentence.