Gary Neville has dropped the ultimate compliment on one Manchester United man after claiming that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would “want him” following his performance against Everton.
United sealed an emphatic 3-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, with Alejandro Garnacho opening the scoring with a sensational overhead kick.
Garnacho’s bicycle kick was the show-stealing moment from the Premier League contest, with Bruno Fernandes praising his United teammate for his clean strike.
Goals from Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial sealed all three points for Erik ten Hag’s men, who moved up to sixth place in the Premier League table.
The Red Devils are now four points behind fourth-place Aston Villa and third-place Liverpool, with United trailing league leaders Arsenal by six points.
Despite Garnacho earning rave reviews for his overhead kick against Everton, another standout Red Devils player impressed the likes of Neville and the fans.
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Neville talks Kobbie Mainoo’s performance vs Everton
Kobbie Mainoo received his first start for United on Sunday and the highly rated 18-year-old youngster seized the opportunity with both hands.
The United starlet, who was linked with City earlier this month, started alongside Scott McTominay and put in a commanding midfield performance against Everton.
An exciting prospect for United’s future, Mainoo was praised for his stunning role by United captain Fernandes and by Sky Sports pundit Neville after the Everton match.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “It was impressive and there’s no point getting carried away by it because the reality is he’s got 17 or 18 years in front of him and he’s got a lot of work to do.
“But sometimes when you see a player come in for the first time and the way in which the temperament, he’s obviously got technical ability and skill, you don’t play for Manchester United in the first place if you haven’t got that, you don’t get picked by Erik ten Hag if you haven’t got that, but what you don’t know is how they’re going to handle it.
“He’s gone in here at Goodison Park, in what could have been the most ferocious atmospheres for many a year in a hostile environment, and he looked class.
“We know he’s class, we know he’s got class, he’s got that ability, but he looked class in that environment.
“I always judge players when it’s the most difficult part of the game. When Manchester United had their most difficult period in that first half just before half-time for 20 minutes I thought he was the only player who showed up, the only player who still looked like himself.”
Neville makes Guardiola and Mainoo claim
Neville showered Mainoo with praise and even went as far as to suggest that the United midfielder would be the kind of player that Guardiola would want at City.
However, the Sky Sports pundit added that United prospect Mainoo has a “long challenge in front of him” and is playing at a club that comes with “huge demands.”
“The biggest compliment I can pay him, and it hurts to say this, I hope people can take this in the right spirit… he looked like a Manchester City player,” Neville added.
“Honestly, I was watching him and thinking that’s a player that Pep Guardiola will be looking at and thinking, ‘I want him in my midfield, that’s what my midfield players do.’
“Thankfully, Man United have got him because he looks so composed, so graceful, always looking over his shoulder, knowing where everyone is, letting it run across his body.
“At 18 to be doing that out there, he’ll have tougher games, he’s got a long challenge in front of him, there’ll be injuries, ups and downs, there will be other players coming in, he’s playing at a club with huge demands. But that was very, very good.”
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