Nico O’Reilly is a true ambassador for Manchester City’s academy, says director | OneFootball

Manchester City academy director Thomas Kruecken has lauded Nico O’Reilly as an ambassador for the club’s bespoke youth programme.

O’Reilly enjoyed a breakthrough 2024-25 campaign as he took all first-team chances with both hands and established himself as a regular starter for the senior team under Pep Guardiola, solving a long-standing issue at left-back and allowing Josko Gvardiol to move to his preferred centre-half position.

Since then, the 20-year-old has gone on to make 44 senior appearances under Pep Guardiola, operating predominantly at left-back. That positional evolution – from academy midfielder to a trusted defender thriving on the biggest stages – is central to why Kruecken views O’Reilly as exemplary.

The youngster’s journey is rooted in longevity as much as talent. Having joined City as the U9 stage, he has progressed through every developmental stage of the club’s system. His senior debut came in the 2024 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United, a symbolic moment that quickly became the starting point rather than the destination.

That explains why Kruecken has been so unequivocal in his assessment of the Manchester-born star, who is not simply a success story but a reference point for every young player dreaming of making the leap into the first-team squad at the Etihad Stadium.

In conversation with City Studios recently, Kruecken said: “Nico O’Reilly is a role model for every single player in this academy. He started his journey with the academy aged nine. So (he is) a great role model for those kids who start their journey now in the class of 2025.”

The transition from midfield to full-back is rarely seamless, particularly at a club where tactical detail is relentless. Kruecken highlighted the defensive transformation as evidence of both mindset and self-motivation.

“And specifically (during) the last 18 months, everyone is so proud of his development,” Kruecken added on O’Reilly. “He was a midfielder in the academy and when you see his improvement in terms of how he defends, it’s incredible to see.

“And it’s an indicator for his self-motivation, his resilience and his self-belief because it wasn’t easy after his injury one-and-a-half years ago to come back.”

That injury setback could easily have stalled momentum. Instead, O’Reilly returned with renewed clarity, earning Guardiola’s trust through consistency rather than hype – a currency that carries real weight inside the City setup.

Kruecken was careful to frame O’Reilly’s rise as the product of alignment: family support, institutional belief and managerial opportunity.

“I think the support of his mum and his family was so strong, and then the belief of the football club and from Pep Guardiola – always giving him the opportunities. He delivered and he deserved it,” the German executive said.

Few moments illustrate that delivery more starkly than O’Reilly’s appearance in the UEFA Champions League in a 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in December, when the academy graduate notched his first-ever European goal at one of the biggest global venues in football.

“It was great to see for our EDS players in the Bernabue, to see him (O’Reilly) performing against Real Madrid in front of 90,000 (fans),” Kruecken added.

“Only a couple of months ago, he was with us playing in the UEFA Youth League at Bratislava. When he enters the pitch, he always wants to be the best version of himself. And I think at the end, the hard work, he deserved it. And as I said, everybody is so proud.”

O’Reilly’s recent contract extension only reinforces City’s view that this is a long-term piece, not a short-term solution. More importantly, it provides the academy with something priceless – proof that patience, adaptability, and daily excellence still open doors at the highest level.

In an environment where pathways are scrutinised as much as results, O’Reilly’s journey is not just a success story. It is the template.