He may have come through Man City’s world-renowned academy as a central and sometimes attacking midfielder, but O’Reilly has made the left-back spot in Pep Guardiola’s side his own.
The 20-year-old’s performance in City’s 2-1 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Wednesday just underlined that. He was fortunate for his goal, right place, right time, and all that, but that wasn’t the only moment.
Ahead of next year’s World Cup, left-back is probably England’s weakest position. Here is why Thomas Tuchel should make O’Reilly his first choice for the biggest tournament in football.
One of Man City’s most consistent stars
It was an odd start to the season for Man City. Heavily reliant on Erling Haaland, they didn’t look like the side we were used to, even if they did keep picking up points, keeping Premier League leaders Arsenal within touching distance.
Now, City appear to have played through their slump, and players other than Haaland are stepping up to the plate. Rayan Ait-Nouri was signed from Wolves in the summer, and it was presumed that he would be their starting left-back for the season.
The Algerian started ahead of O’Reilly for their first four games of the season, but an injury gave the youngster his chance to impress. A few months later, Ait-Nouri has started just two games across all competitions.
Since breaking into the first team, O’Reilly’s numbers speak for themselves. In the Premier League, he’s made 35 tackles, won 75 duels at a success rate of 51.0%, and has only been dribbled past nine times, which is great for a left-back.
One of his best performances came in the 3-0 win over Liverpool. Mohamed Salah got nothing from him, with the Egyptian failing to complete a single dribble, although that appears to be the story of his season so far.
He’s a consistent attacking threat too, having 39 touches in the opposition box, creating 12 chances, and 11 successful dribbles across his 14 Premier League games so far, while also popping up with a goal and three assists.
Who else is in the frame for England?
Thomas Tuchel doesn’t have too many options at left-back. Luke Shaw, who has been the first choice over England’s past few tournaments, has dropped off considerably, and although it looks like he’s put many of his injury issues behind him, he hasn’t featured in a national team camp this year.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was meant to be Shaw’s successor after an outstanding breakout 2024-25 at Arsenal, but chances have been limited this season now that Riccardo Calafiori has returned to fitness, and Tuchel has been vocal about not picking him if he doesn’t play.
O’Reilly’s closest competition is probably Newcastle’s Tino Livramento. Although primarily a right-back, he’s equally capable of playing on the left, and he has more Premier League experience than the Man City ace, despite a few injury issues.
Livramento’s numbers don’t really compare to O’Reilly’s though. The Newcastle man has made 19 tackles, won 41 duels, and although he’s only been dribbled past four times, he’s played around 300 minutes less than O’Reilly.
Thomas Tuchel is already a fan
Tuchel clearly wanted to get a good first-hand look at O’Reilly, calling him up and giving him his first caps in the World Cup qualification wins over Albania and Serbia, in which he played the full ninety minutes.
Of course, World Cup qualifiers aren’t particularly challenging for England nowadays, but for a 20-year-old coming into the squad for the first time, it shouldn’t be understated how big a deal it is.
O’Reilly took the chance and ran with it. Across his 180 minutes, he made three tackles, won nine duels at a 90% success rate, and four aerial duels at a 100% success rate, while having 117 accurate passes and three touches in the opposition box.
They were almost perfect all-round performances from the Man City youngster.
Verdict
At this moment in time, O’Reilly stands head and shoulders above the rest of England’s left-back options, literally in some cases, he’s a healthy 6 ft 4 in. His numbers are better, and on the eye test, he clearly contributes more.
There is still just over half a season to be played and a lot can change in such a short period of time, but right now, O’Reilly’s place on that plane next summer looks certain.