Bursting with confidence: England’s Kobbie Mainoo chest controls the ball during the last-16 match against Slovakia. — AFP
BLANKENHAIN: Kobbie Mainoo’s inexorable rise continued over the weekend as the teenager became the third youngest player to start a major tournament knockout match for England.
The 19-year-old lined up for Gareth Southgate’s side in their dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over Slovakia just 217 days after making his first Premier League start for Manchester United.
Only Michael Owen at the 1998 World Cup and Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004 were younger when starting on such a stage for England, who are now preparing for a quarter-final clash with Switzerland.
Mainoo did his chances of featuring on Saturday no harm with a composed last-16 display that came as no surprise to those who have helped oversee his rise through the United ranks.
“He’s a laid-back character off the pitch,” director of academy Nick Cox said. “He’s not loud or boisterous. He’s got a playful side to him, he can be a cheeky little lad at times, but he’s a very respectful, humble and pretty steady kind of kid.
“The number one ingredient to be a footballer is, ‘Can you remain steady and consistent when the world around you is pretty crazy and a bit of a roller coaster?’
“But I think when he’s on the pitch he’s really self-assured.
“There’s humility off the pitch, but as soon as he crosses the line I think he’s got a real belief in himself – not an arrogance but a real confidence that he can cope with whatever comes his way and he’s demonstrated that.”
Cox says Mainoo looks “well within his comfort zone” on the biggest stages, including scoring in a man-of-the-match display as United beat rivals Manchester City in May’s FA Cup final.
The 19-year-old is a boyhood Red Devils fan and would be on more than 35 first-team appearances for the club had he not suffered a freak ankle ligament injury in a pre-season friendly last July.
As part of his return to fitness, Mainoo played under Travis Binnion again, having won the FA Youth Cup with the academy’s head of player development and coaching in 2022.
“The thing with Kobbie is we knew he was good, he knew he was good, so then it’s about working hard, working at your game,” Binnion said of the midfielder, who played for him in the EFL Trophy and UEFA Youth League this term.
“But what you have as a football club is, if you keep progressing, there is an innate belief that you will play. He carries that assuredness through the journey.
“He’s believed he’s going to play since he was maybe eight, but certainly since I came to the club at 14.
“The boy is special in terms of his outlook and his demeanour, but the club are grounded to go,
‘You’ll get an opportunity – we don’t know when, but you better be ready and this is what it takes to be ready’.”
Mainoo’s attitude is as impressive as his on-field ability, with his willingness to learn helping him turn this breakthrough campaign into a dream season.
The midfielder caught United manager Erik ten Hag’s eye during a training camp in Spain during the 2022 World Cup, with the senior players also quick to see value in his game.
Academy chief Cox said: “What really, really helped him is I think because he’s a willing lad, a respectful lad, a good learner and obviously a decent footballer, the top players actually really gravitated to him.
“I think Casemiro, Bruno (Fernandes) and the likes of those players have been amazing with him in terms of that final piece of transitioning to that level on a daily basis.
“It’s credit to him because he’s got a go over there (to the first team) and show he’s the real deal, but it’s credit to them that they have almost nurtured him. Because that last bit is like the hardest bit.
“You need everything to go your way in terms of a manager that believes in you and wants to give you a debut. The early days of trying to find your way into first-team training is difficult.” — dpa
