- Nico O’Reilly struggled against Real Madrid in the Champions League
- He responded with a sensational Carabao Cup final performance
- Gary Neville has praised the Man City star for bouncing back
Gary Neville has given credit to Nico O’Reilly for turning things around after a really disappointing display for Manchester City.
Nico O’Reilly is currently representing the England national team and this is a result of his excellent performances at a club level.
The 21-year-old has broken into Manchester City’s first-team and is showing a lot of potential. However, he recently had to endure a tough night in Madrid, as City were thumped 3-0 by Real Madrid.
O’Reilly started at left-back on that occasion and he was unable to cope with Federico Valverde. The Englishman also failed to score his team’s best chance of the game, making a comeback extremely difficult.
Gary Neville praises Nico O’Reilly for his Man City rebound
Despite O’Reilly’s struggles, he was able to come back stronger. Indeed, the Manchester-born star was the hero in the Carabao Cup final.
O’Reilly scored both Man City’s goals against Arsenal, prompting high praise from Manchester United legend Gary Neville.
"It was exceptional for him!" 👏
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) March 29, 2026
From Madrid to Wembley, a huge comeback for Nico O’Reilly! 💫 pic.twitter.com/2EFI5ea3QY
“If I’d made the two mistakes in Madrid which he made. The first one obviously, he doesn’t read the flight of the ball and Valverde, to be fair is a brilliant player, does him,” Neville told The Overlap.
And then he does him on the second goal I think it is, when he runs inside him from sort of the out to in run.
“We’ve all been done with that run as a full-back and I’m thinking, do you know something, I’m struggling to recover from that mentally, because I’m thinking I’ve cost us the European Cup, I did it.”
He added: “For O’Reilly to come back within two weeks from that. In Real Madrid, it was a bit of a sobering night for him to be fair, because it would have hurt him.
“To come back from that after being two weeks ago in Madrid, with Valverde giving him a little bit of a lesson, which is a good lesson for him by the way, he’ll know how to do it, is exceptional for him.”
O’Reilly could become a nailed-on starter for Man City
This season has seen O’Reilly become a regular starter in Man City’s team and he is now approaching the point where he becomes undroppable.
The youngster’s resilience has been so impressive to see and it definitely helps that he has impressed as a full-back and a midfielder.
Regardless of which players join Man City this summer, O’Reilly ought to keep starting on a weekly basis.
