Nico O’Reilly has become the latest star off the Manchester City production line this season, with the 20-year-old impressing whenever he has been called upon by Pep Guardiola
Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly has revealed how he once snubbed Manchester United and Liverpool to seal a future with Manchester City. O’Reilly, 20, has quickly become a shining example of the talent that City’s academy continues to produce.
Having been tempted by both of the city’s giants at just eight-years-old, it was City that managed to catch the youngster’s eye. As it turned out, his mother Holli let him choose his own path and the rest was history.
“It was narrowed down to City and United,” he said, even though Liverpool and Everton were both said to be keen on him as well. He then explained why the Sky Blues had the edge over the Red Devils and others who wanted him at the time.
“Training here was so much better. At the other clubs it was just run around, play games – it wasn’t really helping you out. It was a bit of fun.”
His ability first came to light when he made his competitive debut in the club’s Community Shield victory over United. Under the tutelage of coach Ben Wilkinson in the academy, the attacking midfielder’s big break in the Premier League came during the 2-0 win against Leicester City earlier this month.
Having initially dipped his toes in the water with appearances against Ipswich Town and Newcastle United earlier in the season, it’s in this year’s FA Cup campaign that O’Reilly has truly begun to make waves, reports the Manchester Evening News.
O’Reilly scored his first goal for City in the third round 8-0 demolition of League Two side Salford City. He then scored a brace in City’s 3-1 home win over Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle in the cup’s fifth round.
Another big moment for the youngster came in City’s 2-1 over Bournemouth in the quarter-final. While he didn’t get on the scoresheet, he walked off the pitch with both assists, flanked by Guardiola who marched him over to the away end to soak up the fan’s admiration.
O’Reilly also made his mark in the Champions League, debuting against Sparta Prague and featuring in every City squad for the competition, except for the last-16 match defeat away to Real Madrid.
Starting his journey as a left back in the academy, O’Reilly still drops by to see his former teammates and keeps tabs on their games, recently attending a loss to Crystal Palace.
Speaking on an episode of the Official Man City Podcast in 2024 before his interview with the Mail earlier this week, O’Reilly delved further into why City was the only choice for him.
“I started [playing] when I was three or four,” he said. “I was at a few grassroots teams at the same time so my mum would take me from one game to another, rushing around.
“The first team that scouted me was actually United and then City came in for me as well as Liverpool and Everton. Before you sign a contract you train with all the teams so I was doing that for a bit.
“I had a choice when I was Under-8s and Under-9s out of City and United. I chose City because the training was a lot better.”
O’Reilly will now be hoping he can make an impact against the team he could have joined as City face United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
