Who is Man City FA Cup hero Nico O’Reilly?

“He’s going to play in the semi-final, for sure”, said Pep Guardiola after Nico O’Reilly saved Manchester City’s FA Cup skins for the second round in a row.

The City manager may have been half-joking – with the words accompanied by a huge smile and laugh – but 20-year-old O’Reilly has certainly added to his growing reputation.

O’Reilly, who has yet to start a Premier League game, came off the bench at half-time to assist two goals in Sunday’s 2-1 comeback win at Bournemouth.

In the previous round he scored twice as they came from behind to beat Plymouth 3-1.

O’Reilly also netted in the 8-0 win over Salford in round three.

O’Reilly joined City as an eight-year-old, having also been scouted by Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton.

He signed his first professional contract in July 2022, alongside 10 other players, including Rico Lewis.

In 2022-23 O’Reilly made headlines with two remarkable goals in the Under-18 Premier League – a stoppage-time scorpion kick winner against Middlesbrough and 40-yard strike against Manchester United – and ended the season as an unused sub for the first team against Brighton.

Last season his development was hindered by injury but he still scored from near the halfway line for City’s under-23 team against Nottingham Forest.

In the summer he impressed Guardiola on City’s pre-season tour of the United States – and started the Community Shield win over Manchester United.

O’Reilly has played in the Premier League and Champions League from the bench this season and started in the Carabao Cup – but his headline acts have been in the FA Cup.

Anyone coming through the academy at a Guardiola club would be best placed to be flexible – and 6ft 2in O’Reilly matches that description.

He is a midfielder – and an attacking midfielder at that – by trade. City’s website says he is “able to operate in a number of attacking positions”.

Yet in pre-season, with Rodri absent, O’Reilly featured as a defensive midfielder alongside Mateo Kovacic in a friendly against Barcelona – in which he scored – and against United in the Community Shield.

O’Reilly played as a centre-back against Salford and as a left-back when he replaced Abdukodir Khusanov at half-time against Bournemouth.

BBC chief football news reporter Simon Stone said: “He had his contract updated in 2023 but there are likely to be talks about an improved deal in light of recent performances.

” There was interest from Chelsea in the winter window but never close. “

Had O’Reilly, who is under contract until 2028, joined Chelsea, he would have followed fellow City academy product Cole Palmer.

O’Reilly spoke to BBC Sport after his man-of-the-match performance on Sunday.

” My instructions were to get involved as much as I can – in the attacking phase and securing the defending phase, “he said.

” It was good to get the contributions with the two assists. I was buzzing.

“Towards the start it was a bit challenging because I’ve not really played there, but I know what I need to do there and I’m just buzzing I can play.

After the Bournemouth game Guardiola said:” Against Plymouth he scored two goals. Today he made the assists.

“He’s a number 10, we cannot forget. But he has the pace, he is so intelligent and quality with the ball.

” In the final third he has vision. He played really good and had an impact. “

City midfielder Bernardo Silva said:” He was unbelievable.

City play Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals at Wembley in late April.

It may not have been a serious promise from Guardiola, but it seems likely that O’Reilly will feature at some stage.