Kobbie Boateng Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo
Written by Will Unwin, Simon Burnton and Michael Butler for The Guardian:
In the 2022-23 season Kobbie Mainoo played just 87 minutes of senior football, with one start and 10 minutes in the league, but since November, when he made his first Premier League start after recovering from a pre-season ankle injury, he has emerged as a key player for Manchester United.
He was fast-tracked into the England squad in March and was outstanding in his full debut, a 2-2 draw against Belgium. “He gives us a different profile of midfield player to anything else we’ve got,” Gareth Southgate said. “His attributes are there for everybody to see, that ability to receive under pressure and ride challenges, to manipulate the ball in tight areas.” He honed those skills while playing as a forward at youth level, before gradually working his way back to central midfield. “I played a lot as a striker when I was younger, up until I was about 14,” he said. “Then I started to play as a 10, I played on the wing a little bit and then I went into midfield.” Mainoo’s favourite player is Ronaldinho, even though he was just five when the quicksilver Brazilian last played in Europe.
