England star's street skills were always 'cut above', says school head
ReutersThe headteacher of Nico O'Reilly's school has told how the England star who helped the team book a quarter-final place in the World Cup was "a cut above everyone" when playing in the street as a boy.
Paddy McMahon, head of St Patrick's RC Primary School in Collyhurst, Manchester, said the left-back lived close by and would often be seen nearby honing his skills.
"A lot of our older children remember him playing on the street," he said.
McMahon said the school were delighting in the Three Lions' World Cup journey and watching the 21-year-old Manchester City player on the world stage "inspired" pupils "to believe anything they want to do is possible as well".
O'Reilly has described how, growing up in Collyhurst, he loved playing sports and doing outdoor activities.
He said he would play "everywhere - on the grass, on the streets".
"We used to go to the little cage and play there. There used to be about 30 of us that used to go out and play and just have a good time," he said.
McMahon told BBC Radio Manchester the school was so proud of his rise to the national team.
"A lot of our older children remember him playing on the street and obviously even as a young lad going through City's academy he was a cut above everybody else," he said.
"We always say to our children there is no ceiling on their ambitions and when they see someone they recognise from their community on the world stage and doing their very best, and hopefully bringing the World Cup home, it reinforces that they can achieve whatever they want in their lives."
The school's alumni includes another England star - with the late Nobby Stiles, who was part of England's 1966 World Cup winning squad, also a former pupil.
"The children are really proud of having another Collyhurst lad in the World Cup squad 60 years after Nobby Stiles won it with England," McMahon said.
McMahon said a lot of the pupils have been caught up in World Cup fever and teachers are being "a little more lenient" with blurry eyed children who stayed up to watch England's heroics at the Azteca stadium overnight.
"For a lot of them it is the first World Cup they remember so there are really buying into it and really excited," he said.
He said teachers were giving pupils a more relaxed start to the school week, including showing some highlights of the game.
"I think we will have to let them off a little bit – they have got a perfectly valid excuse," he added.
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