Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been praised by Fulham captain Tom Cairney for his “tremendous football brain”.
The 33-year-old spoke highly about the Red Devils talent on the Footballer’s Football podcast.
Mainoo has been making waves at Old Trafford and beyond after breaking into the Manchester United starting XI this season.
At just 18 years of age, the Red Devils academy graduate has already made 18 competitive senior appearances for Erik ten Hag’s side.
Mainoo has also scored two goals, including a superb solo finish to give Manchester United a dramatic 4-3 win over Wolves earlier in February.
The youngster’s displays have seen him earn rave reviews, with Cairney merely one of the latest to sing his praises.
“I’m most impressed by his brain,” said the Fulham ace. “His game understanding and his pictures are beyond his years.
“The way he plays football to get next to Casemiro who has won the Champions League 19 times or something!
“And just give me it back, it’s brave. Serious bravery.
“I wouldn’t say he’s an amazing runner or very athletic but he has got a tremendous football brain on him.”
Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has bright future ahead of him
It’s always great to see a young homegrown player make the breakthrough at a huge club such as Manchester United.
It’s so rare to see 18-year-olds become regular starters these days, particularly in the upper echelons of the Premier League.
Normally, if you get an 18-year-old who looks a cut above at Premier League 2 (Under-21) level and gets an EFL loan, or a few minutes here and there in the first-team, that’s pretty good going.
However, every so often you’ll get a top talent like Mainoo who’s starting regularly and looks tailor-made for the Premier League, and it’s exciting because that’s usually the start of a huge career in the game.
With Euro 2024 on the horizon, who knows whether the Manchester United gem might even start getting a look-in for the England team in the coming months.