7 hours ago
2
Nico O'Reilly has impressed in the Premier League for Manchester City this season and now has England ambitions.
Nico O'Reilly has his eyes on an England World Cup spot to solve a potential problem position for Thomas Tuchel.
The Manchester City star has impressed this season and earned a maiden Three Lions call up last month. He didn't get off the bench in either of October's international fixtures but could find himself back in England contention when the next squad is named on Friday.
The 20-year-old has been a regular starter for Pep Guardiola's side this term and scored his first goal of the season to seal the 3-1 weekend win over Bournemouth.
O'Reilly has been converted to a full back by Guardiola having come through the ranks in the City academy as an attacking midfielder.
And it's at left back that Tuchel sees him as a potential England starter, with an opportunity opening up for the City man to force his way not only into the squad but the XI.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has been the most used left back by Tuchel with England but the 19-year-old is struggling for regular game time with Arsenal, while Tino Livramento is currently out injured.
Tottenham's Djed Spence has come into the reckoning recently and of the other options, Luke Shaw is playing in a back three for Manchester United, Lewis Hall has fallen down the pecking order at Newcastle United and Crystal Palace's Tyrick Mitchell has so far been overlooked by Tuchel.
O'Reilly could be the man to profit, particularly if he continues to shine for City domestically and in Europe.
"Looking forward at the World Cup, trying to get myself in that squad," was O'Reilly's assessment of his international ambitions off the back of his October call-up.
"It was a great experience, being around the lads, obviously meeting Thomas. So yeah, I keep working hard, that's the whole thing - to go to the World Cup."
Tuchel sees O'Reilly as a left back on the international stage and O'Reilly will be hoping the England boss trusts him as much as his club manager does.
The relationship between O'Reilly and Guardiola is built on trust and the youngster is determined to continue to improve and progress.
"He believes in me and I am thankful for that," said O'Reilly. "So I just go out there every week and try and prove myself and try and show I can be in this team."
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
English (US) ·