Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Pep Guardiola would love to have Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester City. The teenager has earned rave reviews following a starring display on his full Premier League debut against Everton on Sunday.
United academy graduate Mainoo impressed in pre-season and was set to be a part of the first-team squad heading into the campaign. An ankle injury saw him miss almost three months of action before returning for the club’s under-21 side at the end of October.
With Casemiro missing through an injury of his own, Erik ten Hag drafted Mainoo into his starting XI for the trip to Merseyside. It was set to be a fierce atmosphere at Goodison Park in Everton’s first game since their 10-point deduction.
But Mainoo was up to the occasion and was United’s best player on the day, according to Neville. He told Sky Sports: “It was impressive and there’s no point getting carried away because the reality is he’s got 17 or 18 years in front of him and a lot of work to do.
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“But sometimes when you see a player come in for the first time and their temperament… He’s obviously got technical ability and skill, you don’t play for Manchester United in the first place if you haven’t got that you don’t get picked by Erik ten Hag if you haven’t got that – but what you don’t know is how they’ll handle it.
“He’s gone in here at Goodison Park, in what could have been the most ferocious atmospheres for many a year in a hostile environment, and he looked class. We know he’s class, we know he’s got class, but he looked class in that environment.
“I always judge players when it’s the most difficult part of the game. When Man United had their most difficult period in that first half I thought he was the only player who showed up, the only player who still looked like himself.”
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Despite it being his first league start, Neville has already seen enough to think Mainoo could play for rivals City. However, he is glad that United have him in their ranks.
He added: “The biggest compliment I can pay him, and it hurts to say it, is that he looked like a Man City player. I thought that was someone that Pep Guardiola would look at and be thinking ‘I’d want him in my midfield, that’s what my midfield players do’.
“Thankfully Man United have got him because he looks so composed, so graceful, always looking over his shoulder, knowing where everyone is, letting it run across his body. At 18 to be doing that out there – and he’ll have tougher games, got a challenge in front of him, there’ll be injuries, ups and downs, he’s playing at a club with huge demands. But that was very, very good.”
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