Nico O’Reilly wins Manchester City and Premier League 2025-26 end-of-season awards | OneFootball

Nico O’Reilly has won the 2025-26 Premier League Young Player of the Season and Manchester City Player of the Season awards.

The versatile 21-year-old has been a revelation this year, playing in multiple roles in an FA Cup and Carabao Cup double winning season to establish himself as one of England’s most exciting young talents.

Only Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland have played more Premier League games for City this term than O’Reilly with 33 appearances – a remarkable statistic for a player who made just nine top-flight starts in the previous season.

O’Reilly’s season in numbers

O’Reilly’s Premier League statistics for the 2025-26 season make for impressive reading for a player operating predominantly at left-back. He played 34 of Manchester City‘s 37 Premier League games, scoring five times and providing three assists across 2,649 minutes of football.

Beyond the league, his contribution across all competitions has been equally significant. He scored twice in the Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal at Wembley – the defining moment of his season and the performance that announced him to a wider audience.

He also found in the FA Cup final run and contributed in the UEFA Champions League, finishing the campaign with nine goal involvements in all competitions from defence.

O’Reilly twice won City’s Etihad Player of the Month award, claiming the fan vote in February and April.

How O’Reilly went from academy prospect to first-team stalwart

He joined City’s academy at the age of eight and worked his way through every age group before breaking into the senior setup. He captained City’s U18s to league glory in 2023 and after impressing in the EDS ranks, the Englishman made his breakthrough into the senior side last season.

This season, however, has been on an entirely different level. Operating primarily at left-back, O’Reilly has been described as effectively “position-less” in the role given his ability to carry the ball forward, push into advanced areas and transition seamlessly between attack and defence.

His combination of physicality, passing quality and relentless energy has made him one of the most complete all-round players in the division this season.

“After my first appearances in senior football last season, I knew this year I could have the opportunity to play more and help the team as much as possible if I worked hard,” O’Reilly said after receiving the award.

“To get so many minutes and earn the trust of the manager and my team-mates has been the greatest achievement in my career so far.”

His development was recognised with an England senior debut in November 2025 and he will head to his first FIFA World Cup this summer after being named in Thomas Tuchel‘s 26-man squad.

What does the award mean in the context of City’s season?

O’Reilly’s prize is a fitting individual honour for a player whose contributions have been central to one of the most extraordinary second halves of a season in Manchester City’s recent history.

The Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and a title race that went to the final week of the season have all been shaped by a 21-year-old Mancunian who has lived the club’s values from the day he first walked through the academy gates.

O’Reilly saw off competition from City teammate Rayan Cherki, Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott, Brentford’s Michael Kayode, Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes to claim the award.

In a season of remarkable individual performances from young players across the league, the academy graduate from Manchester stood out above them all.