Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed strong support for young midfielder Nico O’Reilly in the race for the Premier League Young Player of the Season award, praising the teenager’s breakthrough campaign.
Speaking after Man City’s win over Arsenal on Saturday, Guardiola highlighted O’Reilly’s consistency and impact across the season, saying the youngster had done enough to stand out among his peers.
According to a post by Fabrizio Romano on X on Monday, Guardiola was quoted as saying, “Nico O’Reilly deserves to win PL Best Young Player of the Season! What a season he had!” “I don’t know who is the best player of the season, but the Young one?! It has to be Nico”.
He provided the assist for Erling Haaland in the second half as Man City beat Arsenal 2-1 to pile up pressure on the leaders.
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The Manchester City boss also admitted he was unsure who would claim the overall Player of the Season honour, but was far more certain when it came to the youth category.
O’Reilly’s rise has been one of the positives of the campaign for Manchester City, with the midfielder earning praise for his versatility, composure, and ability to step up in key moments despite his young age.
Guardiola’s comments are expected to boost O’Reilly’s profile further as the season’s individual awards approach, with the teenager increasingly seen as one of the club’s most promising emerging talents.
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