From looking through the gates to scoring at the Bernabeu – Nico O’Reilly’s journey to Manchester City first team

The versatile star is a product of the Premier League side’s academy and, in an interview for TNT Sports, says that he always dreamt of playing for the club while watching their stars of the past practise through the gates of the training ground.

“I knew they were just across the road,” O’Reilly said. ‘We used to train on a pitch just out there, and we could see the first team training through the gates. It was so close yet so far.

“I always wanted to just be there with them on that pitch, training, and just being at that level.”

‘A bit of a shock really’ – O’Reilly on training with Man City first team for the first time

Video credit: TNT Sports

When given the opportunity, O’Reilly revealed the huge jump to first-team action made him nervous, but ultimately he found himself able to adapt to playing at the highest level.

“At the start I was a bit nervous for the first session,” he admitted. “Because it’s obviously something you’ve never done before.

“You’re being told on the day ‘right, you’re going to train with the first team today’.”

“It was so fast, the intensity, it was a bit of a shock really. You watch at The Etihad or on TV and it doesn’t look how it feels.

“I was a bit nervous at the start, (but) I kind of grew into it, and I kind of felt that was my level, that’s where I wanted to be and needed to be.”

He started the game at left-back, a position he has made his own this term, having previously been deployed in midfield.

O’Reilly scores first UCL goal to equalise for Man City

Video credit: TNT Sports

O’Reilly insists that he had a sneaky suspicion he would score that night in Spain, saying: “Yeah it did (feel surreal), going into the game, I think I told my mum that I was scoring that night.

“I just had a feeling, and the ball fell to me in the six-yard box. I just put it away and went off celebrating.

“It was 1-1 so we had to get back into (the game) and score another.

Nico O’Relly Manchester City first team stats (via Opta)

‘I just had a feeling’ – O’Reilly predicted first UEFA Champions League goal against Real Madrid

Video credit: TNT Sports

O’Reilly’s impressive 2025 has resulted in an England call-up. The honour could not have come at a better time for the Manchester City academy product, with the FIFA World Cup in America now just six months away.

O’Reilly says that his England debut in a 2-0 win against Serbia in November was a proud moment for his family.

“That was a crazy moment in my life as well,” he said. “My first camp was a bit unexpected, it was from an injury.

“I got called up the night before, which was very unexpected, but I went in and showed what I can do. I was just myself, and yeah, I really enjoyed it.

“I was called up properly the next time, and I managed to play both of the games and make my England debut.

“It was such a great feeling, I was so proud, the family were so proud and everyone here was so proud.”

O’Reilly insists that his experience breaking into City’s star-studded starting eleven meant he was less nervous ahead of his England debut.

“I think so,” he added. “I was a bit more used to the environments and playing in front of crowds and stuff like that.

“So I would say I was a bit less nervous, but again, it’s putting that shirt on for your country, you are always going to be a bit nervous.”

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