From Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, to Mason Greenwood, Manchester United have never run out of young talents. Lately, the Old Trafford-based club orbited another young prospect from the academy, Kobbie Mainoo.
Mainoo, alongside Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund are United’s top young prospects this season. He also had his debut for the England senior team during the latest international break against Brazil at Wembley. All the buzz and excitement are about him at the moment with the club having huge expectations of him.
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Kobbie Mainoo has a long road ahead
A YouTuber and podcast host Mark Goldbridge is enthusiastic to see more from Kobbie Mainoo in games to come. However, he understands that it IS too early to put an overly huge expectation considering his young age.
“Considering he only started playing first-team football for United in the Autumn, it’s been one hell of a ride and it’s been all good, really,” he told TalkSport exclusively. “But United fans will tell you that not every game he’s played he’s been good.
“I remember the Aston Villa away game and he really struggled against Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey, but that’s part of the process and United fans are well versed in this, you’ll have games where it’s not so good – Alejandro Garnacho’s had it, that’s just part of the nurturing process.”
Mainoo has featured in 23 games for Manchester United this season, scoring twice, one in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup. Goldbridge added that Mainoo has reminded him of the likes of Rashford, Greenwood and Martial during their initial days.
“I remember a few years ago we had Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, and you look at where they’ve ended up, I don’t think any of those players hit where he thought they would, for various reasons.”
Kobbie Mainoo resembles Zinedine Zidane
Mainoo played an important part on his second appearance with England in their match against Belgium by contributing in the build-up to Ivan Toney’s penalty goal.
“That’s the exciting thing about Mainoo – his profile as a midfielder who can actually carry the ball, it makes him stand out,” Goldbridge said. “If he can develop in that way you’ve almost got a bit of a Zidane or Gascoigne type player, a Pogba type player.
“I’m not saying he’s going to hit those levels, but someone who can actually take people on from midfield, and that’s a game-changer.”
Goldbridge, whose real name is Brent Di Cesare, is a radio host and an internet personality who has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. He is also known as a United fan, running a channel called The United Stand.