Pep Guardiola has given numerous players their senior debuts during his time in charge of Manchester City.
Specifically, Guardiola has given multiple players from City’s academy their debut on the senior stage since he arrived at the Etihad Stadium back in 2016.
With the 53-year-old now in the midst of his ninth season in charge of the Blues, one player he recently gave a senior debut to has been sharing his thoughts on what was a very special occasion for him.
- Who is Nico O’Reilly? Get to know the ‘phenomenal’ Man City starlet who has caught Pep Guardiola’s eye
Nico O’Reilly reflects on Man City debut
Speaking in a recent interview shared on the England Football website, O’Reilly had this to say about his senior debut for City in last month’s Community Shield victory against Manchester United.
He said: “I grew up a City fan, I’ve been there all my life, since I was a baby! It’s a bit of a split in my family [between City and United] – but my mum and my sister are big City fans so it was all okay.
“It was obviously my debut but I’ve played thousands of games to get to this point. It was just a game on a much bigger stage.
“My family have done so much to help me, so to have them there was very special. They were super proud.
“It was crazy – there were 78,000 people there. To make my competitive debut, at Wembley, in a derby, it was a lot of pressure but I think I play better under the pressure.
“I just loved it and I was so grateful for the opportunity. I just took it all in.
“I had played in front of 50 or 60,000 people on that pre-season tour in the US, but the biggest crowd I had played in before that was probably 15,000. It was a big jump.”
O’Reilly could be a future star for City
After appearing against the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan and Chelsea during City’s pre-season tour of America, O’Reilly started and completed 63 minutes in his competitive senior debut against United at Wembley Stadium last month.
During his time on the pitch, the midfielder had 25 touches of the ball and accurately completed nine of the 11 passes he attempted.
He also made two interceptions, one clearance, won three ground duels and completed two dribbles.
Having made his debut at Wembley in front of such a big crowd, this would have been a great experience for him, making it understandable why he’s now shared how stunned he was by the environment in which he made his first senior appearance for City.
Moving forward, if the 19-year-old gets the chance to play in any other senior City games he could eventually go on to become a future star for the Blues.
