It was past 11.30pm when Pep Guardiola finally sat down in the media theatre at Santiago Bernabeu to offer his thoughts on Manchester City‘s 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash. Visibly tired and frustrated, he knew there would be questions about his team selection, and he was ready for them.
“How many times has Nico O’Reilly played left back this season? How many times?” he snapped back at one reporter.
The question that prompted the response was a valid one given how Guardiola had chosen to move O’Reilly to left-back from a central midfield position in which the youngster had impressed in the weeks before the trip to the Spanish capital. Guardiola didn’t say it implicitly, but the feeling in the room was that the City boss was hinting that, in a perfect world, he would have two O’Reillys — one to play in defence and another in midfield.
If nothing else, Guardiola was making it known again that he’s acutely aware of the value of the kid from north east of Manchester.
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With City needing goals in the second leg, Guardiola opted to leave O’Reilly on the bench in favour of more attacking players. But with the season on the line in the next four games in the wake of their Champions League exit — starting with Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal — O’Reilly is set to be back in the team tasked with ending the campaign with at least one trophy.
The bigger decision for Guardiola is whether O’Reilly is better used in defence or midfield.
From academy graduate to one of City’s key men, it’s been a meteoritic rise that could yet include a place in the England squad at the World Cup.
“I’m very pleased,” says O’Reilly when asked to reflect on the past year. “I’m happy with how things are going.” It’s a typically understated answer, but one in-keeping with his quiet — sometimes shy — demeanour.
“At first, the first few games, it’s a bit like, ‘this is new,'” he continues. “You go from 200 people [watching youth team games] to thousands and thousands. It’s a big difference. As the games go on you get more used to it, you get comfortable, more confident, and you find it OK.”
O’Reilly’s performances have been more than just OK. He’s already made 43 appearances in all competitions this season, and no player aged 20 or under has recorded more minutes in the Premier League.
O’Reilly only made his full top-flight debut in April 2025. By May, he was starting the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace and in December, he started and scored against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu in the Champions League group stage.
Along the way, he did enough to convince Thomas Tuchel he was worthy of a first full international call-up in October. It’s possible that he could head to the World Cup this summer as England first-choice left-back, despite playing the position for the first time in his career last season.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” he recalls. “I think it was just one session before the Salford game last season. “Pep said, ‘right, you’re playing there tomorrow’. Then I did well, gradually, and I started playing there more and more.
“This season I started to go back into midfield a bit. I was happy with it. I didn’t mind it. I enjoyed it. It was a good challenge. It just depends where the manager wants to play me, where they think I’m better. As long as I’m playing, I’m happy.”
Adapting to a new position is not the only challenge O’Reilly has had to overcome. Part of City’s set-up from the age of 8, the club always had high hopes, but his path to the first team wasn’t particularly smooth.
At Under-16 level, growing pains in his knees and legs caused by a rapid growth spurt hampered his progression for more than six months. When he reached the Under-18s, he was kept back for a year rather than pushed up permanently to the Under-23s, and an ankle injury that eventually required surgery ruled him out for the majority of the 2023-24 season.
In January 2025, there was strong interest from Chelsea, but City knocked back the approach because of Chelsea’s unwillingness to include a buy-back clause in the deal. Since then, his development means City won’t be entertaining offers anytime soon. In September, club bosses decided to hand O’Reilly a new five-year contract that will keep him at the Etihad until 2030.
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“It was a great feeling when I got told,” he said. “I was over the moon. I couldn’t wait to sign it, and this season’s been great as well for me. I’ve played quite a lot. I’m looking forward to what’s to come.”
In the official announcement on City’s website, O’Reilly made a point of thanking mum, Holli, for the “sacrifices” she made during his childhood in Collyhurst. Manchester through-and-through, he’s got 0161 — the city’s telephone code — tattooed on his arm.
“That’s where I grew up, Manchester, the area,” he says. “Yes, it’s me, really, like how I became who I am today. Growing up there, I really enjoyed it. I used to go out, play football every day with my friends. It was a good place to grow up.
“I recently moved away [from Collyhurst], but it was a great place. I loved living there. I’m a bit out of the way now. I like it. I’m still with my family, which is good. They’re there to look after me a bit and still support me. They go to every game and they keep me on track. They’re enjoying it, taking it all in as well. It’s a good journey to be on.
“I have a little sister and she comes to every game. She loves it, a big City fan. She’s massively into football now.”
A City fan growing up, O’Reilly never got the chance to go to Wembley to watch his team when he was younger. This weekend, O’Reilly will turn 21 on Saturday before being part of the City squad taking on Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
“You know, growing up watching City all my life, going to the games, seeing them playing these kinds of competitions, winning finals and wanting to be in that position, it’s very special,” he said. “I didn’t get the chance to go to any finals when I was younger. But I watched them on TV and now to be playing in them and be involved is a great achievement.”
