Gareth Southgate will be well aware that he has another star on his hands in the form of Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo.
The England manager is undeniably blessed with the level of talent he has at his disposal in the Three Lions squad, with one stark criticism against him in recent years being that he often struggles to manage it in the most efficient way.
He can rotate through numerous starting 11s and still deploy a world-class squad each time, all of which can include a mix of experienced players and emerging prospects. The latest make the leap was Mainoo, who made his senior international debut at Wembley last night as England locked horns with Brazil in a friendly.
United fans had been raving over Mainoo’s performances since his first Premier League start last November. When England supporters then clocked on to his abilities at just 18 years old, they too were calling for Southgate to grant the teenager his maiden call-up.
Initially named in the Under 21s squad, the Carrington graduate was subsequently promoted to the senior team last week, likely due to his scintillating showing in the Reds’ FA Cup triumph over Liverpool.
Should Mainoo’s development continue on its upward trajectory from now until the end of the season, he’ll have formed a strong case for him to be included in Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad this summer, which would round off one of the most remarkable breakout campaigns for a player of his age that we’ve seen – and that says a lot of United’s youth system.
Southgate gives verdict on Mainoo debut
Reacting to the midfielder’s 15-minute cameo post-match, Southgate told the press (as cited by Football365): “Kobbie was a chance to dip his toes. We needed to refresh some of the team because we’ve got to manage their minutes a little bit, so that’s a strange situation when it’s a game of that size, but that’s where we are.
“To get Kobbie on the pitch was a brilliant moment for him and his family. You saw a couple of turns and a couple of really composed moments that is a bit of an indication of what he might become.”
