Erik Sviatchenko reckons Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley will be knocking on the door for a place in Denmark's 2022 World Cup squad.

O'Riley has made no secret it's his dream to be named in Kasper Hjulmand's side that jets off to Qatar for the greatest football show on earth later this year. He notched his first goal for Denmark under 21s last midweek in a 3-2 European Championship qualifying victory over Turkey - a superbly struck volley - which did his chances of receiving a call-up to the full international squad no harm at all. The result secured the second spot for Denmark in their Euro under-21 qualifying group which means they’ll take part in the playoffs as they attempt to qualify for the tournament based in Romania and Georgia next year.

However, Sviatchenko admits that O'Riley faces stiff competition to secure a midfield slot and a seat on the plane bound for the Middle East. He believes that if the former MK Dons man can turn in some stellar performances in the Champions League group stages ahead of the World Cup finals then Hjulmand will have much food for thought.

READ MORE: Celtic ace Matt O'Riley lifts lid on Denmark World Cup dream

Sviatchenko said: "I know it is O'Riley's dream to play for Denmark in the World Cup finals in Qatar later this year. He has performed well for the under-21s and he scored his first goal in midweek against Turkey. He has done magnificently well for Celtic and you have to say he is now knocking on the door of the full Danish international squad.

"There is a lot of competition in the midfield area for the full Denmark team and he faces a fight with a lot of good players to book a seat on the plane to Qatar. For him to be a serious contender for the Danish national team then he has to continue where he left off last season. If O'Riley does that then his profile will continue to grow at a club like Celtic.

"The Danish national team manager values playing at the highest level in Europe. It doesn't come much higher than playing in the Champions League. Playing well in the Scottish league is one thing but O'Riley knows that a good showing in the Champions League will aid him in his quest to reach his goal of being included in the Denmark 2022 World Cup squad.

"The most important thing for him right now is that he puts in the work required and thinks about nothing else other than performing in the present and if that is good enough then he will certainly give the Denmark national manager something to think about when it comes to naming and selecting his World Cup squad.

"Hopefully, he will be knocking at the door when that time comes. He is on the right path and it is nice to see a young player enjoying success at a club like Celtic as well as Denmark under U21s. If he doesn't make it this time then there will be other World Cup finals tournaments. The Danish national team is doing well and probably will progress more in the next few years. He is a young player and he is maturing fast but he is not in a rush and his time will come with Denmark.

"He needs to enjoy his football and not stumble by wanting to achieve this dream so much. He needs to soak in the atmosphere of where he is playing his football at the moment as Celtic is a really good place for O'Riley to be right now. He will be able as a young player to evolve, develop and gain all the experience needed to become a regular with the full Danish national side.

"Personally, I'd love to see a Celtic player representing Denmark at the World Cup finals. I'll definitely be cheering for O'Riley to be named in Kasper Hjulmand's final squad."

Sviatchenko also handed the 21-year-old a huge compliment by stating that O'Riley could replace the role vacated by talismanic midfielder Tom Rogic this summer.

The five-times capped ex-Denmark internationalist said that there are striking parallels and traits in O'Riley's game that are similar to the Wizard of Oz who departed at the end of the current campaign after a wonderful nine trophy-laden seasons.

Sviatchenko said: "He reminds me a bit of Tom Rogic. It is still early days in his Celtic career but there is no reason he can't fill that role vacated by Rogic this summer after nine years of wonderful service to the club.

"Celtic are in a good position as they have lost such a big player in Rogic but it is nice to think they have a ready-made replacement coming into the team. O'Riley has the same stature as Rogic as he is tall and has good dribbling skills and he can dictate the tempo of matches. He has real vision and an eye for a pass. I don't want to put on unnecessary pressure but I do see a lot of Rogic in him."

Despite being born and raised in England and capped at both under-16 and under-18 levels, O'Riley has shunned representing the Three Lions on the international stage and opted to chase his Danish World Cup dream instead. Ironically the player could also have featured for Norway through his maternal grandfather. Sviatchenko is absolutely delighted that O'Riley has chosen to represent the country of his mother's birth.

The 30-year-old FC Midtjylland star said: "The first time I heard about him was in the Danish media. O'Riley had a Danish mum but he could choose to represent both England, Denmark and Norway. All of that was mentioned as was the fact that he was an MK Dons player who had been linked with Celtic.

"As soon as Celtic entered the equation I started to take an avid interest in his career. When he signed I thought it was an interesting transfer. I knew playing for Celtic would be a step up for him in terms of coming from League One in England but after watching some of his games I have been very impressed. I'm just glad that he has chosen to play international football for Denmark and we'll see what happens with him."