Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have reacted to the resurgence of Kobbie Mainoo under Michael Carrick after Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Fulham on Sunday.
Kobbie Mainoo resumed his role from the midfield pivot alongside Casemiro and the Manchester United midfielder put in another strong showing across the 90 minutes.
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The 20-year-old England international has started every single one of Michael Carrick’s Premier League matches in charge of the Red Devils since January.
Mainoo’s Man Utd performance against Fulham caught the eye of fans, with the Three Lions ace appearing to build much-needed confidence in his midfield role.
The United youth academy product had faced major struggles under Ruben Amorim, who had dropped Mainoo from the Red Devils starting XI in the 2025-26 campaign.
Gary Lineker tells Micah Richards his verdict on Man Utd and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo
England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo had not made a single Premier League start under former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim in the current season.
Fast-forward from Amorim’s sacking as Man Utd head coach and Michael Carrick has restored Mainoo’s importance to the Red Devils starting XI under his interim reign.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Gary Lineker has been thrilled to see the return of Mainoo in the Man Utd set-up in the post-Amorim era of the club.
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“The other one I want to talk about is Kobbie Mainoo,” he said.
“He’s come back when we were all going, ‘What?’ I mean, he was such a good footballer.
“I mean, he was arguably England’s best player at the last tournament [Euro 2024]. Now, he’s back in the starting line-up.”
Lineker added that he felt that Mainoo stood out for all of the right reasons with his performance in United’s dramatic 3-2 win over Fulham in their Premier League clash.
“I thought he played very well again today,” he continued.
“He’d have to be in the running, wouldn’t he, for one of those, you know, pivot kind of players?”
Micah Richards responds to Gary Lineker with his feelings on Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd turnaround
Joining Lineker on the podcast episode was none other than Micah Richards, who insisted that Mainoo’s confidence is returning with each match he plays.
“Yeah, definitely,” he said.
“And it’s just confidence as well. You know what I like about this more than anything, Gaz, there was a lot of pressure on him going back into the team.
“So, especially with what his brother put [on] the T-shirt, ‘Free Kobbie,’ and all that sort of stuff.”
Responding to Richards, Lineker interjected: “All eyes would be on him.”
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Sky Sports pundit Richards added that Mainoo has done well to avoid underperforming in a match and hailed Casemiro for his role alongside him.
“Yes, so, it’s immense pressure going in that,” he continued.
“And if he has a bad game, everyone could say, ‘Well, that’s why you’re not playing.’
“So, he had to, you know, just manage his game and he’s done it really well because he’s a good player.
“And you know what? You have to give a shoutout to Casemiro as well.”
Mainoo has made 17 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 campaign and the United midfielder has two assists to his name so far.
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