MATT O'RILEY earned special praise from a UEFA technical observer for his player of the match performance against Shakhtar Donetsk.

The midfielder earned the man of the match award from UEFA in the 1-1 draw at Parkhead last night.

And it wasn't just UEFA reps impressed by O'Riley's showing with respected Spanish journalist Guillem Balague thrilled for the midfielder.

Commenting on Twitter, he wrote: "Great to see that @mattoriley8, deployed deeper than usual, became MoM".

And according to Balague, the UEFA technical observer hailed O'Riley's passing and playmaking prowess while noting his defensive ability.

The observer reportedly commented: "He was excellent in central midfield as a playmaker in distributing passes.

"O'Riley was also defensively balanced, winning back possession and stopping counterattacks."