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Harry Maguire has singled out Kobbie Mainoo for special praise in an interview whilst on England duty.
The 18 year old has been one of the leading lights of Manchester United’s season ever since he dazzled on his full debut against Everton back in November.
The youngster has received the plaudits of a plethora of pundits such as Rio Ferdinand who claimed the player gives him “Seedorf vibes”.
Gary Neville has also highlighted the player’s “unbelievable” abilities on the ball and envisions a key role for Mainoo in this summer’s tournament in the middle of the park.
Maguire also used his interview with The Times to state how impressed he has been with the 18 year old.
The defender claimed, “I remember speaking to Tom Heaton [United’s reserve goalkeeper] about him and saying, ‘I feel like this boy has got everything.’
“He can handle the ball brilliantly. He’s really strong, powerful. The No 6 role is a huge responsibility and I’m sure the positional part of his game will improve drastically the more he plays. You’ve seen on Sunday the ability and talent he has, and he fully deserves his call-up”.
Despite drawing attention to numerous qualities that Mainoo possesses, he pinpointed one particular facet of his game that makes him stand out from so many others.
“It’s actually incredible he’s 18, he’s so mature. He’s a bit like Jude [Bellingham] was when he was a young boy. He’s got a mature head on his shoulders. He just wants to work hard and do well. I congratulated him, said he deserved it, keep it up, and make sure he enjoys himself”.
The former captain also claimed that as one of the senior members of the club, it was his responsibility to guide players like Mainoo and provide a support structure.
“I told him if he needs anything just to ask me. A role and responsibility for the senior players at Manchester United is to bring through academy players. The club is always built on giving opportunities to young boys, we have numerous training with us a lot, and we try and make them feel welcome. We’ve done that to Kobbie”.
Maguire clearly sees a bright future for Mainoo and has backed him to make the squad for the Euros this summer be claiming, “I don’t see why not” when asked if he could fight his way into an already talented squad.
Soccer2day 