Kobbie Mainoo was put in the drying loft by Ruben Amorim. In Michael Carrick’s first game as interim Man Utd manager, Mainoo was back in the starting eleven. Manchester City were sunk at Old Trafford, the 20-year-old stood the entire game. Thus, a continuous downward streak was interrupted for Mainoo. Not a single game from the start with Amorim on the sidelines, the City game marked the change. Now there is no doubt that Mainoo is once again part of the future at Old Trafford, where Carrick confirms it is getting closer. Then it is extra fun that the 20-year-old got his “secret” debut with Ole Gunnar’s Solskjaer.
First to the U-turn at Manchester United and Mainoo. With Ruben Amorim well away from Old Trafford, Michael Carrick reports Mainoo has discarded plans to leave the youth club.
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Carrick was asked this week if Mainoo wants to extend.
“We think so. It is getting closer and closer, and we are positive about it. We are also calm, but first and foremost positive, and then time will tell how it goes. But we’re in a good place,” Carrick said, according to Sky Sports.
Now to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Kobbie Mainoo made his debut for Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw his potential. Mainoo is a player Michael Carrick already knew from Carrington, because Solskjaer saw his potential early on and gave him his first taste of senior team play.
Mainoo first made his debut for the U18 team in 2020 and the U21 team in 2021, one month before Solskjaer was sacked. Nevertheless, there was still time for Solskjaer to watch Mainoo in a first-team environment.
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In an interview with TNT, Mainoo revealed he was called in by Solskjaer.
“It was a friendly behind closed doors at Old Trafford, and I had just played a couple of days before. My U18 coach came to me and said, ‘The senior team needs a player. Is your body okay?’ I just said, ‘Yes!’ Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the coach at the time. I just went in and got 20 minutes, and it was just crazy. That was my very first experience. I don’t know if I had even trained with the first team at that time. It was just crazy to see Cavani and players like him,” Mainoo reminisces.
Now the race is being set for the midfielder to be part of United for a long time to come.
