A Manchester City youngster has earned his first international call-up for England | OneFootball

Nico O’Reilly has blossomed as a player so far this season. Over Manchester City’s past seven matches, O’Reilly has made the left-back position his own in Rayan Ait-Nouri’s absence. O’Reilly has played a key role in Manchester City’s unbeaten run in their past seven matches. Nico O’Reilly’s impressive performances have now seen him called up to the England squad for the first time. That is a fine reward for O’Reilly’s impressive play so far this season.

Nico O’Reilly has replaced Reece James in the England squad.

It was announced by the English FA that Chelsea full-back Reece James had withdrawn from the England squad for their upcoming matches against Wales and Latvia due to injury. James suffered an injury during Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday. Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly has been called up to replace Reece James. That is fantastic news for O’Reilly, who has been one of the stand-out players for Manchester City recently.

Nico O’Reilly has played a key role for Manchester City so far this season, and he deserved to be rewarded.

After Rayan Ait-Nouri went down with an injury after Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton, the opportunity was there for Nico O’Reilly to make the left-back position his own. He has more than done that over City’s past seven matches. The young midfielder isn’t a left-back by trade, but you wouldn’t know that watching him play. O’Reilly has become a key component of Manchester City’s possession play, and he offers a threat going forward for Pep Guardiola’s side. Defensively, Nico O’Reilly uses his size, strength and athleticism to his advantage. He looks to be a natural at left-back, which speaks volumes about his prodigious talent. It isn’t a stretch to say that Nico O’Reilly could be the in-form left-back in the Premier League currently.

Nico O’Reilly’s strong form more than warranted an England call-up. He has finally received that call-up in what is a special moment for the Manchester City youngster. It likely won’t be Nico O’Reilly’s last call-up to the England squad. Such is his talent he could become a key player both club and country in time. It now remains to be seen if O’Reilly will make his England debut against Wales or Latvia.