Manchester City’s latest breakthrough talent from their esteemed Academy system, Nico O’Reilly has spoken at length about his journey into the first-team picture.
The 19-year-old featured heavily in the Premier League champions’ pre-season tour of the United States over the course of the summer, with Pep Guardiola’s options having been heavily restricted by the involvements at the European Championships.
With Rodri going all the way with Spain at the tournament in Germany, emerging as victors over England in the Berlin final, an opportunity was granted to Nico O’Reilly to operate in the defensive midfield role alongside Mateo Kovacic, despite being an attacking midfielder.
Pep Guardiola was of the belief that the England youth international’s combination of physical presence and on-the-ball abilities made him an ideal candidate to operate in the role, and to great success throughout contests.
Speaking to England Football whilst away on international duty with the nation’s under-20 side, Nico O’Reilly has admitted that the journey to Manchester City’s first-team squad, via a pre-season experience in the United States, may have finally now sunk in.
“I think it has sunk in now, but it took a while. I went and wasn’t expecting any minutes, anything like that,” O’Reilly admitted this week. “Then Pep (Guardiola) gave me a chance in the first game, I did well, and he put his trust in me again.”
O’Reilly continued, “I had some good games, some good performances.”
Discussing his journey into the Manchester City first-team squad, O’Reilly glowed when highlighting the trust put in him by manager Pep Guardiola, and how the Catalan has now made his ultimate dream come true as a boyhood fan of the club.
“From someone like Pep, the best manager in the world, for him to have trust in you to go out there and play really means a lot,” the teenager explained. “I grew up a City fan, I’ve been there all my life, since I was a baby!”
Continuing on his family, the Manchester City Academy graduate said, “It’s a bit of a split in my family (between City and United) – but my mum and my sister are big City fans so it was all okay.
“It was obviously my debut but I’ve played thousands of games to get to this point. It was just a game on a much bigger stage. My family have done so much to help me, so to have them there was very special. They were super proud.”
It will have no doubt been a family affair on Nico O’Reilly’s competitive debut for Manchester City, as the teenager took on Manchester United in the FA Community Shield in early August, emerging on the winning side to claim the first piece of silverware of the season.
