Nico O’Reilly wins Premier League Academy Graduate of the Year after breakout Man City season | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly has been awarded the Premier League’s Academy Graduate of the Year award following a sensational debut season in Pep Guardiola’s first-team.

The reveal will bring immense pride for the City Football Academy (CFA), which continues to solidify its reputation as one of the most productive youth systems in world football, rivalling the likes of Barcelona’s La Masia and Chelsea’s Cobham setup.

The 21-year-old has not only established himself as a regular starter for the Manchester City but has also become a symbol of the club’s tactical innovation, transitioning from a technical midfielder within the academy system to a powerhouse full-back.

The award ceremony, held during the Premier League Youth Development Conference at Wembley on Tuesday, serves as a crowning moment for a player who only signed a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium six months ago.

Nico O’Reilly’s emergence has been particularly vital during Manchester City’s unrelenting title duel with Arsenal, providing a level of defensive stability and attacking threat that has seen him surpass more experienced peers.

Nico O’Reilly’s staggering breakout campaign

In his first full season as part of Pep Guardiola’s first-team, Nico O’Reilly has quickly become a mainstay in Manchester City’s matchday squad, with his Catalan head coach seeing the necessary traits to utilise his physicality as an advancing full-back.

Utilising his strength, ball-playing ability, and tireless energy, O’Reilly has found the perfect blend between defending and attacking at left-back – a position he has quickly made his own whilst holding off competition from the likes of Nathan Ake and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Across the 2025/26 season so far, the 21-year-old has achieved:

One of his standout performances saw O’Reilly bag a brace to help City beat Newcastle United 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, while his hard work has also seen him earn a senior England debut in what has been a standout season.

Following the footsteps of greatness

The 21-year-old’s ability to handle the inverted full-back role has already drawn some comparisons to the early days of Joao Cancelo, but with a physical robustness that is unique to his own profile.

As Manchester City prepare for the final two weeks of the season – including the FA Cup Final against Chelsea on 16 May – Nico O’Reilly will no doubt continue to be a key component in the starting line-up at the club.

It remains to be seen what more is to come from O’Reilly into the 2026/27 season, and whether a role in midfield could await a player who is quickly becoming one of Pep Guardiola’s most important and trusted assets.