Playing the oldest knockout tournament in the world is a dream of every kid, especially when bestowed with the crest of one of the greatest clubs in England. Kobbie Mainoo is living his dream at the tender age of 19 and has garnered praise from Manchester United’s living legend, Wayne Rooney, after scoring the second goal in the first half of the FA Cup final. Mainoo delivered a stellar performance in his first-ever FA Cup final, facing none other than the Premier League champions, Manchester City. Fellow presenter, former England international and Barcelona legend Gary Linekar, joined Rooney and was equally in awe of the wonderkid. Mainoo is heftily compared with ex-United player Paul Pogba, who had a very average spell at the club. However, the Stockport teenager is already an England international under Southgate, making his debut for club football in 2023.
Insights from Rooney on the FA Cup Final & Mainoo: His Take on the Rising Wonderkid of Manchester United’s academy
Just few minutes after Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring sheets, Mainoo cemented the Red Devils’ position. They are the first teenagers to score in the FA Cup final since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004. The flawless strike went past the outmaneuvered Ortega. This brought a series of joy and praises from the BBC studio in the half time. Rooney hailed the youngster saying,
“Mainoo, Kobbie Mainoo, for such a young lad, take his goal out of it, the composure he has shown on the ball for such a young lad has been excellent. Incredible. It’s so good to see a player from the Academy coming through and dictating the games for Manchester United.”
Linekar agreed and added,
“I saw him playing for England against Belgium. I was so impressed by his debut. Was he 19?”
The sheer talent of the wonderkid playing at the highest level of football speaks vloumes for itself. Rooney although admitted in the BBC podium about Mainoo’s disbalanced start in the first team during the season. But his performance for the final made Rooney praise little details like composure, passes and in depth analysis of the match while playing. He tagged the young lad’s display as “Brilliant,” and “Incredible.”
What the Future Holds for the Youngster
Mainoo has already made 35 appearances for the club in the 23/24 season. Winning a major tournament by the age of 19 and already an England international. There lies a bright light ahead at the end of the tunnel. Kobbie Mainoo will be playing the first Euro of his life, due to which he has to prepare himself physically and mentally. A big challenge lies ahead for him in 2024 with England being one of the favourites to win the tournament. United definitely sees him in their long term plan and has big projects lined up around him. With praises such as these from the legends of the game, it definitely goes without saying that the academy graduate prodigy is brimming with talent. Mainoo is already a media sensation and hot topic in recent days. If nurtured in the right way and with proper guidance, he will rise and shine, rather than turning out to be another so-called Paul Pogba.
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