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Kobbie Mainoo has had quite a week, having raised plenty of eyebrows with his exploits in the middle of the park for Manchester United.
In the absence of Casemiro, Mainoo slotted in seamlessly alongside Scott McTominay and led Man United’s midfield akin to a seasoned pro against an in-form Liverpool side.
The 18-year-old outmuscled and blazed past Liverpool’s experienced midfield with ease, leaving the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endō chasing his shadow.
Apart from giving the home support plenty of moments to cheer, Mainoo also managed to impress Gareth Southgate with his quick feet and decision-making.
Before United’s FA Cup clash on Sunday, the England gaffer overlooked the midfield sensation, citing lack of experience.
The United academy product only needed 80 minutes to change that opinion, it seems.
Early this week, Southgate handed him his first senior call-up, giving the Three Lions fans an opportunity to gush over the prospect of seeing the midfield trio of Mainoo, Jude Bellingham, and Declan Rice in action against Brazil and Belgium.
Apart from impressing the United faithful, Southgate, and England fans, the Stockport-born teenager also left Liverpool’s staff waxing lyrical about his talent.
According to a report in The Mirror, such was the Englishman’s impact in the first half at Old Trafford, members of Liverpool’s staff were expressing their admiration for him and his ‘outrageous’ talent.
Interestingly, Liverpool are not the only rivals to have shown appreciation for Mainoo’s footballing abilities.
According to Daniel Taylor of The Athletic, Manchester City’s academy staff rated the player as ‘the one who got away.’
Fortunately for the Red Devils, they managed to spot as well as hold onto Mainoo, who is seemingly primed to lead their midfield for years to come.
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