Jamie Carragher believes Kobbie Mainoo has the potential to be a “superstar”.
The 19-year-old broke into the Manchester United first team last season before appearing in the latter stages of the European Championship for England this summer.
Mainoo is now trying to build on his breakthrough season. It won’t be easy but the youngster is calm and assured in everything he does, so we’ve got no reasons to worry about him.
United started the 2024/25 Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Fulham on Friday night, with Mainoo playing a key role in midfield alongside Casemiro.
Another strong season will only strengthen Mainoo’s status as one of the most promising talents in the game.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the game, Carragher expressed his admiration for Mainoo’s development, saying: “I think he has been an absolute revelation. I love watching him play and what he did in the summer.”
He added: “He came through last season, we were asking questions about United’s midfield. It was Casemiro needs a partner, now it’s Mainoo needs a partner. I think he is going to be a superstar.”
Fellow Sky Sports pundits Roy Keane and Gary Neville hailed Mainoo too.
Keane pointed to the youngster’s maturity, saying: “What he [Mainoo] has shown is a lot of maturity. He has to back it up, you are playing in the middle of the park for Man United. But he made it look very easy, his reading of the game and maturity. Hopefully he can back it up injury-free. I have been hugely impressed and fingers crossed.”
Neville added: “He has handled big games from minute one. Cup finals, scoring in cup finals, big away games. He was the player in such a poor team that you could rely on. To then do what he did in the tournament, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Gallagher had played there and he became the answer. What a mesmerising start, the only thing that can stop him is himself.”
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