Kobbie Mainoo has been hailed as someone to watch at Manchester United by Neil Ryan, Travis Binnion and Neil Wood.
Ryan, now England Under 21 coach, worked with Mainoo during his time coaching the Red Devils Under 16 team and immediately saw his talent.
“He hit the ball well, powerfully and cleanly,” Ryan told The Athletic. “He could handle himself physically, too.”
Now working with the 17-year-old in England’s national youth setup, Ryan remains impressed.
“He had very good performances in the youth system and started to shine, and I continued to work with him after selecting him for the England team. In the camp that he has been in so far, he did very well. “He was outstanding against the Netherlands and he also played against Belgium, another high-level game for him. He performed well on that one too.”
Mainoo seems to relish the challenge every time he steps up the ladder and, according to journalist Andy Mitten, the youngster has the right mindset to succeed at Old Trafford.
It’s a view backed by United’s current under-21 manager Travis Binnion.
“As a person, he’s a pretty laid-back guy,” he says. “He thinks about the game. He is a hard worker. He very popular with his teammates.
“He goes about his business unassuming, then lets his skill do the talking. He is never going to be a screamer and a yeller. He has a good football brain.”
Likeable and focused, Mainoo is showing early signs of possessing both the attitude and skill he’ll need to succeed at the club.
He’s already broken into Erik ten Hag’s team of the matchday, coming on the bench against Newcastle United in October.
While he didn’t make it to the court that time, continued success at the youth level is sure to keep him top of Ten Hag’s mind.
Mainoo was in the side that won the FA Youth Cup with a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in the final and has done well to be promoted to the under 21 team.
Neil Wood, their manager at the time of the Youth Cup success, appreciates the obvious talent of the youngsters but suggests there is room for improvement.
“Kobbie had some good performances in the Youth Cup last season,” he said.
“In the final, I thought that both teams canceled each other out and that he could have had the ball better, that his movement could have been better. I talked to his father about it after the game.
“That was the next part of his development: playing against teams that have players as physical as him.
Playing in the under-21s was going to be the next challenge. Can you master those games for 90 minutes? There are a lot of videos dealing with individual skill these days, but it’s important to watch the full game and see the balance of that game.
“There is no doubt that technically he is very good and he is comfortable with the ball at his feet and also receiving the ball under pressure. He knows how to carry the ball very well and he dribbles well”.
“I would like to see more of his passing range, to see if he has those passes that really hurt opponents, open up defenses or really create attacks,” he added.
“I would like to see more of that side of him, but I think 21 is enough of a challenge for him right now. He has the power and the physicality.”
Ryan and Binnion also emphasize their passing as an area to work on, particularly in terms of advancing the ball.
An excellent athlete and clever ball carrier, Mainoo has impressed on every level so far, but if there’s still more to add to his game (and the will to add it), he has a good chance of becoming a household name.
For Binnion, however, the next step for the teenager would be a loan move down the pyramid.
“The next level, playing regularly in League One, the Championship (on loan) and the Premier League, will be an extra challenge for him.”
It is something that the player is preparing for in advance.
“He’s working a lot behind the scenes physically to make sure he gets by and excels with it.”
