O’Reilly signs fresh City contract! | OneFootball

Nico O’Reilly has signed a new five-year contract at Manchester City, keeping him at the Club until the summer of 2030.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a superb year since making his senior debut in the 2024 Community Shield game at Wembley, with his new deal just reward for his consistent performances in Pep Guardiola’s first team.

O’Reilly, a City Academy graduate who joined the Club as an eight-year-old, captained our U18s to a third successive national title in 2022/23 and ended the season by winning the Players’ Player of the Year award.

The following campaign he impressed for the Elite Development Squad after an injury setback in the first half of the campaign.

But last season saw the versatile youngster step up into the first team, and he hasn’t looked back since, making 27 senior appearances and scoring five goals already.

O’Reilly says his new contract is a special moment for him and his family – but he insists he is just getting started.

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“This is a day I will never forget,” he said. “I have been at City since the age of eight, and to have made it into the first team and have played matches is a dream come true. To be rewarded with a new contract really is special.

“I am really proud and so is my mum! She has sacrificed so much to get me to where I am today, so I am just as happy for her as I am for myself.

“But in truth, this is just the beginning for me. I have come so far, but I want to keep pushing now, improving every day, and become the best player I can be. Here at City, with Pep as manager, I know I can do that. This is the best place for a footballer to be.

“I want to thank everyone who works in the Academy, all my teammates, Pep, the coaching staff and the City fans because without all those people supporting me along the way, none of this would have been possible for me.”

Director of Football Hugo Viana says O’Reilly is a shining example to other Academy players and believes he has the potential to have a long and successful career in the game.

“Everyone at Manchester City is proud of our Academy and Nico is a great example of why that is,” Viana said.

“Any young City player should look to Nico and learn from how he conducts himself on and off the pitch. If they do that, they won’t go far wrong.

“He is technically assured, intelligent and a brilliant reader of the game. His progress since stepping into the first team has been excellent and we feel he has so much more to offer. He really does have huge potential.

“Nico is also a fantastic person. He is so focused on his football, which is what we want from our young players.

“I am delighted for him and his family, and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further in the coming years.”

Everyone at Manchester City wishes Nico all the best for the remainder of his new deal.

WATCH: O’Reilly: None of this would have been possible without the support of my Mum

Homegrown hero

A proud product of City’s famed Academy, it was apparent from an early age that Nico O’Reilly possessed all the raw materials to really take flight at the Etihad.

Having progressed impressively through the age ranks after having initially joined City’s Under-9s, O’Reilly then proved a key performer for both our Under-18s and Elite Development Squad after first making the Academy step up in 2021/22.

With his natural flair and creativity allied to his industry, vision and eye for goal it wasn’t long before his talent made numerous observers stand up and really take note of the latest gem to roll off from City’s Academy production line.

His efforts proved a key component in helping City’s Under-18s lift the 2021/22 Under-18 Premier League regional and national titles, O’Reilly making 19 appearances all told that campaign.

Despite his tender age, Nico also gained some initial exposure with our Elite Development Squad, where it was immediately apparent that he was more than at home at Under-21 level.

Appointed Under-18s skipper at the outset of the 2022/23 season, O’Reily’s impact was even more profound as he led the City youngsters to what was an unprecedented third straight national title.

Nico’s influence was profound, and his impact saw him voted as the Academy Player’s Player of the Year.

His special qualities were also further amplified by a series of quite outstanding individual goals.

First, O’Reilly grabbed a dramatic late winner with an incredible scorpion kick against Middlesbrough, earning a crucial three points en route to the regional Under-18 title.

He then followed that up seven days later by claiming a brilliant brace in a 3-1 derby win over Manchester United at the CFA, the second-strike seeing Nico execute a quite breathtaking 40-yard lob over the United goalkeeper.

A tally of 13 goals and 14 assists only served to further emphasise his magnificent all-round contribution to the cause.

Having been elevated into our Under-21s side, his career arc was then interrupted early into the 2023/24 campaign by the first serious injury of his career.

The twin challenge of a serious ligament damage allied to a fractured ankle bone conspired to sideline Nico for several months from the summer of 2023 onwards.

However, he demonstrated he possesses tough mental fortitude allied to that superb technical quality by staging a hugely impressive return to action in January 2024.

Restored to full fitness, his penchant for standout goals was then further illustrated with a wonder long-range strike against Nottingham Forest that earned him the Academy Goal of the Season prize.

WATCH: 'I knew you were special, son '- Nico O'Reilly's mum's special message

Some eye-catching displays across the second half of that season also saw Nico rewarded in the shape of a place on the senior City squad that toured the United States in the summer of 2024.

A series of fine showings Stateside more than impressed Pep Guardiola and his coaching team and saw O’Reilly handed a first senior competitive berth in our 2024 Community Shield clash with Manchester United, where City eventually emerged 8-7 victors on penalties after a 1-1 draw across 90 minutes.

Inaugural senior bows then quickly followed across both the Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League with his first taste of Premier League and FA Cup action arriving in January 2025.

That first taste of FA Cup action at home to Salford was also accompanied by a maiden first team goal with O’Reilly then following that up by claiming a crucial brace in our 3-1 fifth round triumph at home to Plymouth.

He then registered back-to-back Premier League strikes at home to Crystal Palace and away at Everton, the latter a pivotal strike in helping secure what was a vital 2-0 win that helped City take another giant step towards Champions League qualification.

Along the way, Nico was also deployed as an attacking left back as well as in midfield by Pep Guardiola to great effect – a sign that he marries positional flexibility and intelligence alongside his deep reservoirs of natural talent.

All told, O’Reilly figured 21 times in a hugely impressive debut season that illustrated his vast potential.

Now, armed with the belief engendered by signing his new long-term contract, one of the most exciting young talents yet to emerge from our Academy is only set to go from strength to strength.