5 hours ago
23
Manchester City youngster Nico O'Reilly has a chance to make his England debut in the next week after a late call-up
Nico O'Reilly could make his England debut as a defender after playing his way into the national team from left-back.
O'Reilly came through the Manchester City academy as a No.10 but was plugged into Pep Guardiola's defence last season as an emergency option with injuries to centre-backs pushing Josko Gvardiol back into his natural position. O'Reilly shone at left-back, proving to be one of the catalysts for City to confirm a top-four finish in the Premier League and reach the FA Cup Final.
This season has seen a repeat, with O'Reilly coming in to make his first start of the campaign in the derby and starting each of the last seven games that have seen the Blues pick up five wins and two draws to transform the mood at the Etihad.
His last performance, in the 1-0 win at Brentford on Sunday, saw him earn a late-night text from England boss Thomas Tuchel after the decision was made for Chelsea's Reece James to withdraw from the squad with injury. O'Reilly confirmed that he has been brought into the group as a defender.
"I play wherever I'm told to! I grew up playing in midfield my whole life and then last year i got put to left-back. It was a bit of a change but I'm enjoying it," he told talkSPORT.
"I'm quite open, wherever I'm playing I'm happy with as long as I'm playing."
O'Reilly is one of three City players to make the England squad, with James Trafford and John Stones also called up. Rico Lewis will go with the Under-21s again.
Guardiola has praised the consistency of O'Reilly in his position and believes it is no coincidence that City have such an excellent record when he is in the team.
"I think since he started to play, we lost just one game, the FA Cup final against [Crystal] Palace,” he said. "When he's not been involved it was defeats all the time.
"So Nico helped us a lot, improved a lot in his aggression and set-pieces and with the ball.”
---
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) ·