Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is known for his criticisms as a pundit, but one player that excites him is Kobbie Mainoo.
Scholes speaks about Mainoo and compares the youngster to one of the greatest-ever midfielders, Zinedine Zidane.
It’s huge praise for the 19-year-old, but he deserves it after swiftly becoming a regular for United, and England after impressing at Euro 2024 over the summer.
He ended his first season in United’s first team as an FA Cup winner and expectations are high for the future. Many see Mainoo as the driving force behind United for the coming years, especially in midfield.
Scholes has been so impressed by Mainoo that he’s already compared him to the legendary Zidane.
The Frenchman won the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, LA Liga and Serie A, among others, as a player and is now considered a successful manager and the benchmark for midfielders.
“He’s the nearest thing I’ve seen to [Zinedine] Zidane in taking a ball, receiving the ball, cruising past people,” Scholes told The Guardian in an interview.
“I heard there was a young lad holding his own against Casemiro in training, sometimes better than him. But you have to go out and do it.
“The first time I saw him I remember that calmness. The way he received the ball with confidence; I just couldn’t believe such a young player could do that.”
Scholes was one of the greatest midfielder players to have played for United, and Mainoo is often compared to him, but the former England international feels the current star is way ahead of where he was at his age.
“That calmness didn’t come for me as quick as it did for Kobbie,” said Scholes. “I’d say it came five or six years into my career. That’s why it amazes me. He’s so relaxed, the game’s so easy to him. It’s almost like poetry in motion. That calmness will be vital throughout his career. It’s [something] just in you.
“The sky’s the limit for this lad if he keeps his head down. And he looks like the type who will stay on an even keel.”
Hopefully, Mainoo can continue to kick on this season but I have no reason to think he won’t. He’s a grounded kid taking each challenge in his stride.
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