Matt O'Riley's direct message to Crawley Town's Jay Williams after recovery from injury

Matt O'Riley enjoyed a remarkable return from injury by netting the winner against Manchester City on his Premier League debut.

O'Riley joined Brighton last summer from Celtic for around £25m but suffered an ankle injury six minutes into a Carabao Cup clash with Crawley Town last August.

The Denmark international was on the receiving end of a poor challenge from the Crawley Town skipper Jay Williams – one that Brighton chairman Tony Bloom described as a "horror tackle."

O'Riley required surgery on his ankle and missed the next 11 matches but returned in style against Premier League champions Manchester City last Saturday. The 23-year-old is now keen to put his injury issues behind him but also admitted he forgave Williams the night of the injury.

"The night it happened I forgave the guy that did it straight away," said O'Riley to the Official Albion podcast.

"Everyone around me was not happy, family and stuff. And one or two don't like him because of what he did. But the quicker I could accept it and forgive him, then just be ok with it, then I stopped myself from suffering about it more.

"I don't end up holding on to it for too long. It does not become a thing within me. To the point where I come back training with the boys and there's still something hanging over me.

"Every detail matters and that's how I looked at it. When I go onto the pitch I want to feel as open and as free as I can. So you can go onto the pitch and naturally perform."

O'Riley then went on to say how meditation has helped him in his career and his personal life.

"I have worked with it for quite a few years and I have a random situation with a guy from India that I work with in terms of mental psychology but also a lot of meditating stuff and that's something I've been doing a lot for the last few years.

"Over the last few months I'm really seeing the fruition of it in terms of as a person. I feel happier and on the pitch I feel more free."