Nico O'Reilly

Nico O'Reilly
	O'Reilly training with Manchester City in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Nico O'Reilly
Date of birth	21 March 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth	Manchester, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Manchester City
Number	75
Youth career
2011–2022	Manchester City
Senior career*
Years	Team
2022–	Manchester City
International career‡
2021	England U16
2021–2022	England U17
2022–2023	England U18
2024–	England U20
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:13, 19 January 2025 (UTC); ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:57, 1 October 2024 (UTC)

Nico O'Reilly (born 21 March 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City.

Club career

Nico O'Reilly^[2] was born on 21 March 2005 in Manchester.^[3] He started his career with the Manchester City academy when he was eight years old.^[3] He moved up to the Manchester City under-23 side towards the end of the 2021–22 season, and subsequently signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2022.^[4] O'Reilly captained the under-18s during the 2022–23 season.^[5] He made some headlines after he was filmed scoring an overhead scorpion kick in the 95th minute of an under-18s match for Manchester City against Middlesbrough in April 2023.^[6] A week later, he scored another spectacular goal with a forty-yard chip against Manchester United under-18s.^[7]

O'Reilly trained with the Manchester City first-team on a warm weather training camp to Abu Dhabi in December 2022.^[8] He was included in the match day squad for their Premier League fixture on away to Brighton & Hove Albion on 24 May 2023, and was included amongst the match day substitutes.^[9]^[10]

He made his senior debut in the 2024 FA Community Shield against Manchester United on 10 August 2024.^[11]

O’Reilly scored his first goal for City on January 11 2025, in an FA Cup match against Salford City.^[12]

International career

Born in England, O'Reilly is of Jamaican and Irish descent.^[13] He scored his first goal for the England under-16s against Northern Ireland on 3 June 2021, in a 6–0 win.^[14]^[15] A few months later, he scored his first goal for the England U17 side, in the 88th minute of a 2–2 draw away against Slovakia on 21 October 2022.^[16]

On 6 September 2024, O'Reilly made his England U20 debut during a 1-1 draw away to Turkey.^[17]

Style of play

O'Reilly has been described as an attacking midfielder with "flair" who is "graceful and fluid with the ball at his feet".^[18]

Career statistics

As of match played 19 January 2025^[19]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			FA Cup		EFL Cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester City	2024–25	Premier League	1	0	1	1	2	0	1^[a]	0	1^[b]	0	6	1
Career total			1	0	1	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	6	1

^ Appearance in UEFA Champions League
^ Appearance in FA Community Shield

Honours

Manchester City

FA Community Shield: 2024^[20]

References

^ Nico O'Reilly at WorldFootball.net
^ "Premier League clubs publish 2023/24 retained lists". Premier League. 5 June 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Nico O'Reilly". Manchester City F.C. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
^ Bray, Joe (8 July 2022). "Two Man City players sign contract extensions as 13 youngsters sign first professional deals". Manchester Evening News.
^ Vegas, Paul. "Man City U18 captain Nico O'Reilly proud of brace in victory over Man Utd". Tribal Football.
^ Abbott, Matthew (8 April 2023). "'Puskas award incoming' - Man City fans rave about incredible Academy team wonder goal". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
^ Binns, Rob (31 May 2023). "FOOTBALLU18 Premier League: Nico O'Reilly scores brace as City triumphs over United in U18 mini-derby". Elite Scholars. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
^ Bray, Joe (5 December 2022). "Manchester City training camp squad for trip to Abu Dhabi confirmed". Manchester Evening News.
^ Plant, Michael (24 May 2023). "'Not fit' - Pep Guardiola gives update on wave of injuries in Man City camp". Manchester World.
^ "Brighton vs. Man City". Soccerway. 24 May 2023.
^ Stone, Simon (12 August 2024). "Which youngster will emerge?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
^ "Manchester City vs Salford City: FA Cup stats & head-to-head". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
^ "O'Reilly, Nico O'Reilly - Footballer | BDFutbol". www.bdfutbol.com.
^ "England U16 vs. Northern Ireland U16". Soccerway. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
^ Smith, Peter (3 June 2021). "Stoke City youth striker bangs in hat-trick on England duty". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
^ Smith, Frank (21 October 2022). "Slovakia 2-2 England". Retrieved 24 May 2023.
^ Drury, Adam (6 September 2024). "Report: England Elite League Squad 1-1 Turkiye". England Football. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
^ Khalique-Loonat, Hamzah (5 April 2023). "Gareth Southgate wouldn't be worried if he watched Arsenal and Manchester City youth". The Times. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
^ Nico O'Reilly at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
^ "Manchester City 1–1 Manchester United: Line-ups". BBC Sport. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.

External links

Profile at the Manchester City F.C. website

[20] Appearance in UEFA Champions League

[21] Appearance in FA Community Shield

[wf-1] Nico O'Reilly at WorldFootball.net

[2] "Premier League clubs publish 2023/24 retained lists". Premier League. 5 June 2024.

[ManCityProfile-3] "Nico O'Reilly". Manchester City F.C. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

[4] Bray, Joe (8 July 2022). "Two Man City players sign contract extensions as 13 youngsters sign first professional deals". Manchester Evening News.

[5] Vegas, Paul. "Man City U18 captain Nico O'Reilly proud of brace in victory over Man Utd". Tribal Football.

[6] Abbott, Matthew (8 April 2023). "'Puskas award incoming' - Man City fans rave about incredible Academy team wonder goal". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

[7] Binns, Rob (31 May 2023). "FOOTBALLU18 Premier League: Nico O'Reilly scores brace as City triumphs over United in U18 mini-derby". Elite Scholars. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

[8] Bray, Joe (5 December 2022). "Manchester City training camp squad for trip to Abu Dhabi confirmed". Manchester Evening News.

[9] Plant, Michael (24 May 2023). "'Not fit' - Pep Guardiola gives update on wave of injuries in Man City camp". Manchester World.

[10] "Brighton vs. Man City". Soccerway. 24 May 2023.

[11] Stone, Simon (12 August 2024). "Which youngster will emerge?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2024.

[12] "Manchester City vs Salford City: FA Cup stats & head-to-head". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2025-01-11.

[13] "O'Reilly, Nico O'Reilly - Footballer | BDFutbol". www.bdfutbol.com.

[14] "England U16 vs. Northern Ireland U16". Soccerway. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

[15] Smith, Peter (3 June 2021). "Stoke City youth striker bangs in hat-trick on England duty". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

[16] Smith, Frank (21 October 2022). "Slovakia 2-2 England". Retrieved 24 May 2023.

[17] Drury, Adam (6 September 2024). "Report: England Elite League Squad 1-1 Turkiye". England Football. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

[18] Khalique-Loonat, Hamzah (5 April 2023). "Gareth Southgate wouldn't be worried if he watched Arsenal and Manchester City youth". The Times. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

[19] Nico O'Reilly at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 January 2025.

[22] "Manchester City 1–1 Manchester United: Line-ups". BBC Sport. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.

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