Manchester City starlet receives first senior England national team call-up | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City will be delighted to have received news on Monday confirming Nico O’Reilly’s first senior call-up to the England national team squad.

The exciting attacking midfielder’s rise from academy prospect to international recognition has been nothing short of remarkable over the past 12 months, after making his senior debut in the 2024 FA Community Shield against Manchester United.

His technical quality, decision-making, and work rate in advanced midfield positions have earned consistent praise from those inside the Etihad Stadium, while the 20-year-old’s performances during the second half of last season particularly caught the eye.

O’Reilly scored his first goal for City in an FA Cup third round victory over Salford City in January, followed by a brace against Plymouth Argyle in March. Later that month, he provided two assists in a hard-fought quarter-final win against Bournemouth, before going on to make his first Premier League start and goal in April.

That progress has all now been rewarded just last week when O’Reilly signed a new five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium running until 2030 – a clear signal of how highly Manchester City rate his potential within their long-term project under Guardiola.

Now, in a statement released by the England national team camp confirmed on Monday morning, “Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly has received his first call up to the England senior squad.”

The statement continued, “The 20 year old moves across from the MU21s squad and comes into contention for the Three Lions’ forthcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia. The inclusion of O’Reilly, who has been capped from MU15 through to MU20 level, follows the withdrawal of Reece James.

“The Chelsea captain sustained an injury playing for his club over the weekend and has been ruled out of England’s October internationals following medical assessments.

“Thomas Tuchel’s squad welcome Wales for an Alzheimer’s Society International at Wembley on Thursday 9 October (7.45pm BST kick-off) before travelling to Riga to face Latvia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday 14 October (7.45pm BST kick-off).”

This latest milestone for O’Reilly follows a growing trend of City academy graduates earning senior international opportunities under Pep Guardiola’s watch, with Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, and Cole Palmer – prior to his move to Chelsea – all progressing through similar pathways.

Speculation will now turn to whether Nico O’Reilly can make his debut in either of the upcoming fixtures, with England manager Thomas Tuchel likely to be eager to test several emerging players in friendly and qualifying settings.

Should the midfielder-turned-defender impress during training at St. George’s Park, his first cap could arrive sooner than many expected. For Manchester City, O’Reilly’s inclusion is both a source of pride and a sign of the club’s continued investment in homegrown talent.