Nico O’Reilly has won the 2025-26 Premier League Young Player of the Season award
The 21-year-old made 34 PL appearances this term, scoring five goals & providing three assists
O’Reilly saw off competition from Rayan Cherki & Bournemouth duo Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott
Nico O’Reilly has won the 2025-26 Premier League Young Player of the Season and Manchester City Player of the Season awards.
The versatile 21-year-old has been a revelation this season, playing in multiple roles in an FA Cup and Carabao Cup double winning season – capping a remarkable breakout season that has established the Manchester City graduate as one of England’s most exciting young talents.
Only Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland have played more Premier League games for City than O’Reilly’s 33 appearances – a remarkable statistic for a player who made just nine top-flight starts the previous season.
This is the fourth time a City player has won the award since its inception in 2019, with Phil Foden claiming the honour in both 2020-21 and 2021-22 and Haaland taking the vote in 2022-23.
O’Reilly’s season in numbers
O’Reilly’s Premier League statistics for the 2025-26 season make for impressive reading for a player operating predominantly at left-back. He played 34 of City’s 37 Premier League games, scoring five times and providing three assists across 2,648 minutes of football.
Beyond the league, his contribution across all competitions has been equally significant. He scored twice in the Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal at Wembley — the defining moment of his season and the performance that announced him to a wider audience.
He also scored in the FA Cup run and contributed in the Champions League, finishing the campaign with nine goal involvements across all competitions from a defensive position.
O’Reilly twice won City’s Etihad Player of the Month award, claiming the fan vote in both February and April.
How O’Reilly went from academy prospect to first-team stalwart
O’Reilly joined Manchester City‘s academy at the age of eight and worked his way through every age group before breaking into the senior setup. He captained City’s under-18s to the Premier League title in 2022-23 and, after impressing in the elite development squad, made his breakthrough into the senior side last season.
This campaign, however, has been on an entirely different level. Operating primarily at left-back, O’Reilly has been described as effectively “positionless” in the role given his ability to carry the ball forward, push into advanced areas and transition seamlessly between attack and defence.
His combination of physicality, passing quality and relentless energy has made him one of the most complete all-round players in the division this season.
“After my first appearances in senior football last season, I knew this year I could have the opportunity to play more and help the team as much as possible if I worked hard,” O’Reilly said after receiving the award.
“To get so many minutes and earn the trust of the manager and my team-mates has been the greatest achievement in my career so far.”
His development was recognised with an England senior debut last November, and he will head to his first FIFA World Cup this summer after being named in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad.
What does the award mean in the context of City’s season?
O’Reilly’s prize is a fitting individual honour for a player whose contributions have been central to one of the most extraordinary second halves of a season in Manchester City‘s recent history.
The Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and a title race that went to the final day have all been shaped by a 21-year-old Mancunian who has lived the club’s values from the day he first walked through the academy gates.
O’Reilly saw off competition from City teammate Rayan Cherki, Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott, Brentford’s Michael Kayode, Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes to claim the award.
In a season of remarkable individual performances from young players across the league, the academy graduate from Manchester stood out above them all.