For as long as Manchester United has been around, their success and fame have been built on training young players.
It shows trust and belief that ability talks better than experience by letting someone play if they are good enough.
From the time of Paul Scholes to the present day with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, the Red Devils have always let young players shine.
Even though this season has been difficult and not great, Erik ten Hag should get a lot of credit for helping superstars grow. Kobbie Mainoo is absolutely one of those superstars.
Kobbie Mainoo’s rise to success with the first team
Mainoo made his first start for Man United in January 2023 in the EFL Cup against Charlton. He had already done well in youth games, first-team practices, and even scored a goal against Cadiz in a friendly in the middle of the season.
During the rest of Ten Hag’s first season as manager, the youth product played in many games and even made his Premier League start against Leicester City in February.
At the end of the season, the young player was on the plane for United’s pre-season tour. Against Arsenal, Mainoo really stood out, setting up Bruno Fernandes’ first goal in the 2-0 win.
Bad luck struck, though, as the player hurt himself badly against Real Madrid and had to leave the pitch right away.
Everything that had been done up to that point stopped. It took 87 days for the number 37 to come back, and he did so in a big way.
Mainoo started his first Premier League game as an adult on November 26, 2023, against Everton. He showed the world how talented and skilled he really was.
This young player was clearly not like other young players right away, as evidenced by the fact that Gary Neville called him “Man Utd’s best player” after just ten minutes due to his bravery and confidence.
Since then, Mainoo has become a huge star very quickly. He is now an important part of Ten Hag’s team, and his play was so good that he got his first start for England at the top level.
The 6-foot star has started 16 Premier League games and played in all 20 of their last games since the game against Everton. This shows how much the coaches value him.
| Premier League’s Most Valuable Teenagers | |
|---|---|
| Player | Transfer Value |
| #1 Alejandro Garnacho | £86m |
| #2 Evan Ferguson | £69m |
| #3 Rico Lewis | £69m |
| #4 Kobbie Mainoo | £43m |
| #5 Facundo Buonanotte | £43m |
| Via CIES’ Football Observatory | |
His recent play, especially against Liverpool, has shown how special he is even more. It’s no wonder that he’s the fourth-most important teenager in the Premier League.
According to CIES’ Football Observatory, Mainoo’s projected worth has gone up because of how quickly he’s risen to the top. He’s now worth even more than Mason Mount and Lisandro Martinez put together (£34m).
Like many football fans, Liam Canning called Mainoo “generational” after his goal against Jurgen Klopp’s team over the weekend. But it’s not just his goals that make him stand out; it’s how consistently he plays that does.
If he keeps playing like he has this season, Man United will have one of the most potential players in the Premier League and the world. His worth will only go up from here.
Read Also: Kobbie Mainoo names dream midfield partner of all time
Read Also: Shaw, Rashford, Martinez – Manchester United injury news and return dates ahead of Bournemouth clash
Read Also: Game over for kamikaze Ten Hag as Man Utd chief Ratcliffe draws up two-man shortlist