'Not completely happy' - Matt O'Riley breaks silence on Brighton struggles amid Everton transfer interest

Brighton midfielder Matt O'Riley feels he is not playing in his best position at Brighton.

The Denmark international had a frustrating first season in the Premier League following last summer's £25m move from Celtic.

O'Riley suffered a serious ankle injury just minutes into his debut and then struggled with form and fitness for the remainder of the campaign.

He made 11 starts in the Premier League from 21 appearances and scored twice with three assists.

Quite a contrast from his final season at Celtic, where he played 49 matches in all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 18 assists.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has used Georginio Rutter in the No 10 role this season. At the same time, the likes of Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari and Jack Hinshelwood have operated in the deeper midfield areas.

Everton are said to be keen to sign O'Riley this summer and the the former Fulham man admits he's "not completely happy" because he is not playing in his favoured position.

“I’m just giving my opinion," said O'Riley speaking to Danish media while on international duty.

“It makes it difficult to show off when you play a position you’re not completely happy with.

"I can play better for the team if I play the number 8 position, but I can play well in other positions.

"You can say it in a way that is not aggressive. If you are honest with another person, you don’t lose anything. The coach can always say he doesn’t agree."

Despite the issues, O'Riley admits Hurzeler's demands have made him a better player defensively.

“I’ve become better at defending myself, being more aggressive and intense in duels. My coach said I should work on my defensive attitude so that I could defend better and help the team in that way. I think that will also help on the national team,” he added.

“I’m best at the number 8 position, where I can go box to box. I’ve only played two games there, otherwise, I’ve been used as a winger, false number 9, or something else,” he said.

For your next Albion read: Matt O'Riley has a £40m problem at Brighton amid Everton transfer decision