One England defender has compared Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo to Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.
Mainoo has been a sensation for Manchester United, making his first Premier League start in November and now stands a chance of joining Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham on the plane for this summer’s international duties at the European Championships in Germany.
Harry Maguire is confident that England have unearthed another talent akin to Bellingham. The Manchester United defender has been mentoring 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo at the club level and believes he is primed for international duty.
Maguire compares Kobbie Mainoo to Jude Bellingham
The Man United centre-back has compared his teammate to Bellingham:
“It’s incredible he’s (only) 18, he’s so mature. He’s a bit like Jude was when he was a young boy. He’s got a mature head on his shoulders. I had no concerns. I see day in, day out his ability in training. 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.
”He’s got everything, he can handle the ball brilliantly. He’s really strong, powerful, and you can see the progression to play that role, especially for Manchester United,” via the Mirror.
Similar to Marcus Rashford’s breakthrough ahead of the Euros in 2016 as a teenager at United, Mainoo’s emergence marks another instance of prodigious Red Devils talent surfacing before a major tournament.
Maguire and Rashford mentoring Manchester United prodigy Kobbie Mainoo
Now, Rashford, alongside Maguire, assumes a senior role in guiding Mainoo, considering it a vital aspect of their responsibilities at Old Trafford.
Maguire added: “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 of them training with us a lot, we try and make them feel welcome.”