Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has waxed lyrical about Kobbie Mainoo, explaining why the Red Devils ace reminds him of Jude Bellingham.
Maguire, speaking to The Times, said the Old Trafford academy graduate is a “strong, powerful” midfielder who looks as though he’s “got everything”.
Mainoo has become a fixture in the Manchester United starting XI this season after only making his first Premier League start in November.
The 18-year-old then scored his first Premier League goal in February, a superb solo effort against Wolves to hand the Red Devils a 4-3 win.
Mainoo has been so impressive and has so much potential that Gareth Southgate has named him in the latest England squad.
The youngster could well make his Three Lions debut this month, with the Euro 2020 finalists set for friendlies against Brazil and Belgium at Wembley.
What has Harry Maguire said about Manchester United teammate Kobbie Mainoo?
Many within the world of football have been raving about Mainoo, and Maguire is the latest to sing his praises.
“I’ve been a massive fan of him ever since he first started training with us,” Maguire said.
“I remember speaking to Tom Heaton [United’s reserve goalkeeper] about him and saying, ‘I feel like this boy has got everything.’
“He can handle the ball brilliantly. He’s really strong and powerful. The No 6 role is a huge responsibility and I’m sure the positional part of his game will improve drastically the more he plays.
“You’ve seen on Sunday the ability and talent he has, and he fully deserves his call-up [to the England senior side].
“It’s actually incredible he’s 18, he’s so mature. He’s a bit like Jude [Bellingham] was when he was a young boy. He’s got a mature head on his shoulders.
“He just wants to work hard and do well. I congratulated him, said he deserved it, keep it up, and make sure he enjoys himself.”
It’s always great to see an academy talent make the breakthrough at a huge club like Manchester United, and Mainoo really seems like a generational talent.
Mainoo is a player of the highest calibre with an incredible future ahead of him, and it’ll be exciting to see how he continues to develop for club and for country.