Can 'calm' And 'intelligent' O'reilly Keep England Left-back Spot?

With each nan attraction connected England's title for attacking places, Nico O'Reilly's world debut whitethorn person slipped nether nan radar.

The 20-year-old - who only made his first Premier League commencement successful April - received his first elder call-up successful October and was handed his debut by Thomas Tuchel successful Thursday's triumph complete Serbia astatine Wembley.

The young Manchester City left-back is nan sixth subordinate to beryllium fixed a elder debut by Tuchel, aft Dan Burn, Trevoh Chalobah, Elliot Anderson, Djed Spence and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

O'Reilly was picked complete Spence and Lewis-Skelly but did not look retired of spot alongside Ezri Konsa, John Stones and Reece James successful defence.

"I'm complete nan moon," O'Reilly told BBC Radio 5 Live aft nan game. "Tonight was a very typical night, making my debut. Dream travel existent for maine and my family.

"My mum, stepdad, sister, for them to watch maine play present astatine Wembley is simply a crazy feeling."

It has been a accelerated emergence for O'Reilly for nine and country, pinch this England debut coming basking connected nan heels of his awesome show arsenic Manchester City hit defending champions Liverpool successful nan Premier League connected Sunday.

In that crippled he and Jeremy Doku formed a beardown business down nan near that nan Reds could not header with.

O'Reilly has nary volition of opinionated still, however, pinch his eyes firmly group connected securing a spot successful Tuchel's World Cup squad.

"It is an purpose for maine to effort to get to nan World Cup," he added.

"There's immense title but I person sewage to conscionable support moving hard, crippled by crippled and time by day."

A boyhood instrumentality of Manchester City, he progressed done City's property groups aft signing pinch nan academy aged 8 - and insiders opportunity nan imaginable he displayed ever made him destined for nan first team.

After captaining nan nine to nan Under-18 Premier League title successful 2023 - and impressing successful nan elite improvement squad past play - he made his breakthrough to nan elder broadside astatine nan commencement of past term.

It was capped pinch a dream first appearance, a nan Community Shield penalty-shootout triumph complete rivals Manchester United astatine Wembley.

This play he has very overmuch established himself arsenic a regular astatine City, making 10 Premier League appearances truthful far, scoring 1 extremity and providing 2 assists.

Interestingly, however, left-back was not initially his calling.

Previously describing himself arsenic a box-to-box midfielder who grew up admiring Yaya Toure and David Silva, he was deployed successful nan full-back domiciled past play by head Pep Guardiola done necessity because of injuries.

At 1 shape past term, City went connected a tally of 1 triumph successful 13 games and leader Guardiola told BBC Sport nan upturn successful results aft that "would beryllium difficult to imagine" without O'Reilly's contributions.

O'Reilly wasn't massively tested against Serbia but what he needed to do he did well.

He had 64 touches of nan ball, completed 45 passes and won 3 duels.

"I loved nan emotion he plays with," erstwhile Manchester United and England defender Phil Jones said connected BBC Radio 5 live.

"He is ever controlled pinch his emotions for a young player, to play successful those magnitude of games.

"He has sewage that existent bully authorities of mind - he plays connected nan edge, but he is calm.

"He is young, excited and he is keeping his emotions successful check."

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson added: "He has been superb.

"For 1 truthful young astatine still only 20, very well-deserved. That's 1 of nan spots that he tin decidedly make his own."

Plenty of plaudits from those watching but, crucially, really did his head complaint him?

"Nico had a awesome debut today, he is simply a very calm person," Tuchel said.

"He seems to beryllium very shy, he doesn't speak a lot, but he is very intelligent connected nan transportation and adapted truthful good to each nan caller things we request from him. So, good done."