Manchester United wonderkid had to be stopped ‘scoring six goals a game’ says youth coach

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Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo has made his presence felt in the first team over the past few weeks.

Kobbie Mainoo was spared the indignation of coming off the bench in Manchester United’s loss to Bournemouth at the weekend.

But you can’t help but wonder, whether Manchester United would have got into quite such a mess if Kobbie Mainoo had started the game alongside Sofyan Amrabat in midfield.

Mainoo will likely see action again soon, with the 18-year-old impressive in his performances so far since returning from a pre-season injury.

Kobbie Mainoo destined for the top

Kobbie Mainoo’s first appearance of the season against Everton was so impressive that in the 24 hours that followed, reports emerged via The Star claiming England boss Gareth Southgate is desperate for him to choose the Three Lions over Ghana.

Mainoo looks destined for the top, and according to his old youth coach before he signed to Manchester United’s academy, he was a cut above the rest from a young age.

Speaking to The Times, Cheadle & Gatley youth coach Steve Vare said: “Even at that young age, Kobbie stood out by a mile.

“What I had to do was load up the team that he was playing against with good players to make it an even game and stop him from scoring six goals a game.

“I would bring in rules especially for him, like he was only allowed to score with his left foot, just to make it a challenge. He was so quick, strong and skilful.

“Even though he deserved it, we told him we couldn’t give him the man of the match trophy every week because we had to spread it around the team.”

Kobbie Mainoo is rising to the challenge

Kobbie Mainoo has now played seven competitive games for Manchester United, three this season and four last season. Three of them have been starts.

He is just getting started, with high hopes for the young midfielder. Mainoo was part of Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup winning squad, along with Alejandro Garnacho.

We wrote back in 2022 on the youngster: “Technically gifted, strong in the tackle and possessing mazy dribbling skills, Mainoo has a wonderful array of attributes that could see him make a real name for himself at Old Trafford.”

This season in just a brief window of opportunity, he has elevated himself to demonstrate he belongs at first team level, and big things should be expected of him in 2024.

A brutal fixture list over the next month raises questions over how much we will see him in December, given that Erik ten Hag has elected to protect him over the past couple of matches. But between now and the end of the season, we should see a lot more of him.