Kobbie Mainoo is just 18 but already being tipped for the very top after an impressive start to his career with Manchester United – which has now been rewarded with an England senior call-up.
The midfielder, who also qualifies for Ghana, has represented England at U17, U18 and U19 levels and was in the U21 set-up for this international break, but has now been called up by Gareth Southgate for the senior squad to face Brazil and Belgium. He is already being spoken about as a possible England player in this summer’s European Championships in Germany.
It has been a rapid rise for the youngster who started out as a striker and made his senior debut a year ago at the age of 17. It was only in November 2023 that he started a regular run in the first team, but his mature performances, including two goals and two assists, have impressed Erik Ten Hag and now Southgate.
Mainoo was born in Stockport and joined United at the age of nine. After rising through the academy, he signed his first professional contract in May 2022 and made his senior debut for the club in the EFL Cup against Charlton in January 2023. A month later he made his Premier League debut, coming off the bench in a 3-0 win against Leicester.
“I can see high potential in him,” said Ten Hag. “Every time he goes to high levels, every training (session), every game. It is up to him to keep that process going.”
Mainoo scored a stunning solo goal in injury time to win a thrilling game for United against Wolves in January, and Ten Hag said: “I do not want to downplay it because it was fantastic. I know also I do not make it too big because the same people who will bring him up, will hammer him down.
“He will have set-backs, but at this moment, he is progressing from game to game, and that is what big talents do. We are really pleased and it is really enjoyable to watch him play football.
“He is a fantastic boy to work with because he is very coachable, he wants to learn. He wants to improve everyday. That is the sort of guy you want to work with.”
Speaking ahead of the Manchester Derby earlier this month, Mainoo revealed he did not always play as a midfielder. “Not many people know that I used to be a striker when I was coming up [through the ranks]. When I was younger, I was always a striker”, he said.
“Then I played as a No.10 and spent a little bit of time on the wing. It is only recently that I have come into a proper central midfield role. I’m learning on the job.
England boss Southgate spoke about the 18-year-old in his recent press conference, and it seems another eye-catching display, this time against Liverpool in the FA Cup, has convinced him to bring him into the senior Three Lions camp.
“I think that he’s doing brilliantly for a young player and we’re never slow to put a young player into seniors. But he’s only had a handful of games and you have to be very careful development-wise in making those decisions at the right time. So we think ideally, we should allow him that space to develop at his own speed.
“He’s not at the point in terms of number of games that Jude [Bellingham] and Bukayo [Saka] were when they came in for the first time. But I repeat: he’s doing really well for a young player. He’s a good footballer — you can see that. And he’s getting some fabulous experience with Manchester United at the moment. And he looks like a really good character.”
