As consecutive champions of the Premier League 2 for the last three years running, a natural recognition is shone onto Manchester City and their youth products yearly.
So, when Carlos Forbs and Shea Charles were sold for significant fees, and Oscar Bobb was promoted to the first team last summer, the feeling around the club was more of an expectation than an astonishment.
The man who was expected to succeed in the promising hole left by those before him was 18-year-old starlet Nico O’Reilly.
To those of a City contingent, O’Riley is no unknown.
The attacking midfielder has shone in every age group he has competed in, especially U18s, in which, as captain, he regularly looked a level above.
He has featured on numerous club media posts for his audacious finishes in the past and has even trained with the first team in seasons prior—a sign of acknowledgement from Pep Guardiola and co. on how highly lauded his talent is.
The inevitable step up to the Under-21s level represented an exciting opportunity for O’Riley to continue his striking development and for Elite Development Squad head coach Brian Barry-Murphy to mould another prospect for the City’s first-team pipeline.
However, O’Riley’s opportunity to make his mark was curtailed by a serious ankle injury that kept him sidelined for four months. Combined with the aforementioned changes and a format change that saw the league increase in numbers and adopt a Swiss-model style, City have spent most of the PL2 season rooted to the foot of the table.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – February 13: Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly during a recovery session at Manchester City Football Academy on February 13, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Isaac Parkin/Manchester City FC via Smart Frame)
Nonetheless, O’Riley made his long-awaited return to the set-up at the start of last month, a comeback Barry-Murphy hailed it as a chance for City to “show that we can be competitive (again).”
O’Riley’s return has sparked a mini-revival in City’s season (unbeaten two out of the last three), and on Monday evening, his influential presence proved pivotal once again.
Off the back of a UEFA Youth League defeat to Mainz, a home fixture against Forest on Monday evening represented a propitious chance to bounce back and claim their first win of 2024.
O’Riley, a languid midfielder with a lanky frame and elusive feet, was City’s go-to-man from the offset.
At 6ft2, O’Riley’s size is glaring to a spectator, but the trickery and pocket awareness truly catch the eye.
He identified the space that forward Justin Oboavwoduo drilled a pass into and opened the scoring as he poked a finish into the bottom right corner.
His second is a product of industry and sheer technical proficiency, as he wins the ball back on the halfway line before floating an effort over the Forest goalkeeper with a nonchalant celebration to match.
O’Reilly departed in the dying minutes to applause from scattered spectators at the Joie Stadium.
A recognition of not just his performance but his comeback.
(Photo by Isaac Parkin/Manchester City FC via Smart Frame)
Raphael Adelugba raphaeladelugba19@gmail.com
