Nico O'Reilly is set to sign a new contract at Manchester City, with the club announcing that he will be wearing the number 33 in the forthcoming season. The decision to extend his contract and to emphasise his taking a new number point towards the player very much being in the club and Pep Guardiola’s plans. But how did O’Reilly go from a relative unknown before last year's preseason to being a meaningful part of the senior team's immediate future?
Academy graduate Nico O'Reilly will wear the number 33 shirt for the 2025/26 season 💪🩵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 1, 2025
Impressing on tour
Last summer saw a number of key City players involved in the European Championships, including Phil Foden, then-captain Kyle Walker, and Rodri, all of whom made the final. As a result, the club’s preseason tour in the US featured a large number of academy players, as Guardiola took the opportunity to see if any of them could make the step up into the first team. Among these was a then nineteen year old Nico O’Reilly, who started all four of City’s matches in midfield. O’Reilly impressed in these games, showing a combination of energy and intelligence, as well as a technical prowess far above what might be expected of a 6’4” teenager.
Senior debut and first goal
O’Reilly would go on to make his senior debut for the club in the Community Shield against Manchester United, playing until around the hour mark. His next appearance for the first team wouldn’t come for another month, when City faced Watford in the Carabao Cup. Appearances would continue to be scarce, limited to cup games, including the 8-0 drubbing of Salford City in early January, where O’Reilly claimed his first senior goal late in the first half. Also in January, City reportedly had to fend off interest from Chelsea in the player, who were presumably hoping to repeat the effect that signing Cole Palmer had. It did not take long after the transfer window shut for O’Reilly to pay back City’s faith in his potential.
The Breakthrough
Just two weeks into February, O’Reilly made his Premier League debut, albeit a short cameo at the end of City’s comprehensive 4-0 win against Newcastle. Another two weeks passed, and the player was again in the starting line-up in a cup game, this time against giant-killers Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup. City were pegged back in the 38th minute, but O’Reilly headed past the Argyle keeper just before the half to equalise. He then doubled his tally with another header to win the tie. He again had to wait for another chance, but he again took that chance at the opposite end of March. He did not start against Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-final, another game where City saw themselves behind. At half time, Guardiola made the decision that would not only change the game, but arguably the season; Nico O’Reilly came on at left back. His impact was immediate, assisting Erling Haaland’s equaliser within five minutes, before assisting the winner to Omar Marmoush. More than that though, his substitution brought the whole team alive; for the first time in weeks, City felt like they were truly playing well, despite the adversity.
Pep’s trust
Immediately after the game, Pep Guardiola announced that O’Reilly would be playing in the semi-final, stating “His impact was just excellent.” This was, in hindsight, massively underselling what Guardiola had seen from the player. Following the Bournemouth game, O’Reilly started all five of City’s Premier League matches, including a Manchester Derby at Old Trafford, a crucial fixture in the race for Champions League against Aston Villa, and games against Crystal Palace and Everton, both of which he scored in. These performances saw him nominated for City’s player of the month. And not only did Guardiola make good on his promise to start him in the semi-final against Nottingham Forest, but he also started him in the final against Crystal Palace. Although City lost in the end, being trusted by Pep Guardiola, who has never been quick to hand academy players chances in important games, in a cup final, is a massive sign of just how highly the Catalan manager rates O’Reilly.
Next season
Although his breakthrough came at left-back, it is clear that City do not see him playing there long term. The signing of Rayan Aït-Nouri almost certainly rules out O’Reilly starting there next season. So how does he push on when the problem that gave him his chance, City’s lack of a natural left-back, has now been fixed? For one, I wouldn’t rule him out of playing as a back-up left-back should Aït-Nouri get injured or just need rest. But for O’Reilly to truly flourish, he will need to find opportunities to play in City’s midfield. City have of course reinforced this position, but given the number of games a season now entails, as well as the lack of a proper preseason due to the Club World Cup, the club will surely need to rotate heavily throughout the season. And in vying for these opportunities, O’Reilly’s greatest attribute, his versatility, will surely offer chances to fill in wherever Guardiola needs him. Versatility is, after all, what allowed him to slot in seamlessly at left-back exactly when City needed him to.
