Nico O'reilly backed to own England's left-back role for decade

nico o'reilly has been backed to make England’s left-back spot his own for the next decade, with Michael Gray saying the Manchester City player would be his choice there now. The 21-year-old has moved fast from a competitive debut in August 2024 to a case for long-term international selection.

Gray backs O'Reilly

Gray did not hedge his view. “He would be my choice now, 100%,” he said of the left-back race, before adding that O’Reilly has become “Mr. Reliable at left-back or whatever position that they seem to play him in.”

He also pointed to the scale of what O’Reilly has already handled. “I think you've got to take on board some of the big games that he's been involved in since he's broken into the Man City starting XI, the big European nights and what he's achieved on those European nights,” Gray said.

That record is backed by numbers. O’Reilly, 21, made more than 50 appearances this season, scored a memorable brace in the 2026 Carabao Cup final and won the first major honour of his career in that final. Gray called him “an incredible talent” and said the age factor gives him “the opportunity to own the left-back position for maybe the next decade.”

Shaw, Hall and Lewis-Skelly

The competition remains real. Luke Shaw is still in the frame, and Gray said he would take the Manchester United defender for his “experience and his know-how” and because he has “been involved in major competitions before.”

But Shaw’s fitness is part of the calculation. “I think the worry is going to be with Thomas Tuchel - and this goes for quite a few players - is he's got to rely on players staying fit for the remainder of the tournament and I think that's one of the worries he's going to have with people like Luke Shaw,” Gray said.

Lewis Hall and Myles Lewis-Skelly are also competing for recognition at left-back, while Tino Livramento and Djed Spence are in the fight with Shaw for an England World Cup squad place. Gray’s conclusion was blunt: “But even if everybody's fit, from what I've seen this season from every single player who's played in that left-back position, Nico O'Reilly would be my number one, hands down.”

Tuchel's selection call

For Tuchel, the decision is now about whether to lock in the younger, cleaner long-term option or keep leaning on experience. Gray’s view pushes the race toward O’Reilly, and the reason is simple: the City player has already moved from debutant to dependable starter, and the tournament conversation has shifted with him.