Gareth Southgate’s full reaction to Kobbie Mainoo’s England debut vs Brazil

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo made his England debut on Saturday evening in a 1-0 defeat against Brazil at Wembley.

The United teenager was rewarded with a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad after an impressive season at Old Trafford so far.

Mainoo quickly impressed the England manager in training ar St George’s Park. “He’s fitted in brilliantly. His level of training has been excellent — we won’t hesitate to put him on the pitch,” said Southgate.

That opportunity came in the 75th minute on Saturday evening, with Mainoo replacing Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher in the middle of the pitch.

It was a calm and composed display from the teenager, something that United fans have become accustomed to in the five months since his full Premier League debut in November.

And whilst it was 17-year-old Real Madrid-bound Endrick who made the ultimate impact in the game, scoring the only goal in minute 80, Mainoo also showed impressive moments.

The United starlet completed all 20 of his attempted passes while also skipping past Joao Gomes with a smooth turn. It was a positive display on his debut for his nation.

Speaking on the teenager’s performance and debut, Southgate said: “Kobbie, it was a chance for him to dip his toes in. We’ve brought him with us, and we needed to refresh some of the team.

“To get Kobbie on the pitch was clearly a brilliant moment for him and his family.

“You saw a couple of turns and a couple of really composed moments that is a bit of an indication of what he might become.”