‘As long as I’m playing, I’m happy’: O’Reilly revels in role of City’s Mr Versatile

The England international has become a key cog for Pep Guardiola’s title chasers and wants more glory in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final

City Football Academy, Friday 10 January 2025: Nico O’Reilly’s career is about to rocket into orbit because, during Manchester City’s final training session before their FA Cup third-round tie with Salford, Pep Guardiola has unexpected news.

“He said: ‘Right, you’re playing at left-back tomorrow,’” says O’Reilly, who had never been used in the position. It was only his fourth first-team appearance but just over a year later he has played twice at left-back for England and is preparing for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.

“I did well, gradually, and started playing there more,” O’Reilly says of becoming a defender. “I was happy with it. I didn’t mind it, enjoyed it – it was a good challenge. Then this season I started to go back into midfield a bit.”

O’Reilly joined City at eight and progressed through the age groups until his senior competitive debut, as a midfielder, in a 2-1 Carabao Cup win against Watford in September 2024. Two more appearances in midfield followed – against Sparta Prague and Tottenham – before the switch to left-back, a position Guardiola has not always filled with a specialist.

After O’Reilly scored in City’s 8-0 hammering of Salford he became a regular – mostly in the new position, including from the start of last May’s FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace.

He says: “In the first few games, it’s a bit like: ‘This is new.’ You go from 200 people watching to thousands and thousands. A big difference. As the games go on you get more used to it, comfortable, confident, and find it OK.”

The Cup final was O’Reilly’s 13th competitive start of a season that he finished with five goals and two assists. He also created 15 chances, alongside making 30 tackles and 600 successful passes – at an 87.3% success rate. About 70% of his minutes came at left-back but he also played in central midfield, defensive midfield and at centre-back.

Guardiola prefers his footballers to be tall and robust so at 6ft 4in and a little under 13 stone O’Reilly is ideal. So is his flexibility. “As long as I’m playing, I’m happy,” he says.

O’Reilly’s importance for Guardiola has increased this term. Two Club World Cup appearances in the close season have been followed by 36 starts: 74% at left-back, 2% in central midfield, 11% in defensive midfield and 13% in a left-wing berth. O’Reilly’s passing accuracy has risen to 89.2% and he has made 87 tackles, created 26 chances and supplied five assists and six goals.

The lad from Collyhurst’s England debut came when playing all of November’s 2-0 World Cup qualifier win against Serbia at Wembley. He was selected in Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad and is excited to return to the national stadium on Sunday. O’Reilly says: “I’m really looking forward to it. Wembley is a special place. I’ve played there a few times – in the Community Shield we won [two years ago], the FA Cup we didn’t. So it’d be nice to hopefully win.”

O’Reilly has a sister and hails from a family of (mainly) City fans. “Growing up watching City, going to games, seeing them playing these kinds of competitions, winning finals and wanting to be in that position – it’s very special [to be involved],” he says. “My family are all City fans, apart from one or two who are United, but they’re all supporting me. They know not to have any banter or I’ll get mad at them.”

O’Reilly has a tattoo of “0161”, his home town’s landline dialling code. “That’s where I grew up – Manchester. It’s me, how I became who I am today. Growing up there, I really enjoyed it. I used to go out and play football every day with my friends. I’m still in touch with a lot of them. We still get along, I speak to them here and there.

“I’m from Collyhurst but recently moved away. I loved living there. I’m a bit out of the way now – I’m still with my family, which is good. They’re there to look after me and support me.”

O’Reilly, who signed a new five-year deal in September, is asked about Arsenal’s muscular set-piece play. “They’re very good at set pieces, aggressive. They use them very well. We need to prepare for it. We did it in the game when we went to their place and I thought we were very good then [drawing 1-1 in September].”

In the league City are nine points behind Arsenal, who they host next month, with a game in hand after draws with Nottingham Forest and West Ham this month. “The final potentially could have an impact on the title,” O’Reilly says. “We’re just going there to win. That’s the aim of it and we’ll see what happens after that.”