Roy Keane disagrees with Kobbie Mainoo comparisons to Man United icon

Manchester United legend and former captain Roy Keane has compared Kobbie Mainoo to one of his midfield partners from his historic career.

First making his Premier League debut aged just seventeen back in February of last year, this season Mainoo has cemented himself as a key part of Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United team.

Mainoo, now eighteen, has made twenty-one appearances in all competitions for United so far this season. Impressing frequently, Mainoo has constantly risen to the task, including during two standout performances against Liverpool, most recently in last weekend’s 4-3 FA Cup victory.

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Excelling enough to earn himself a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, Mainoo has received plaudits from across the world of football.

Now, former United captain Roy Keane has stated that Mainoo is at the level Paul Scholes was during the first months of his career but that he disagrees with comparisons to Scholes, instead suggesting that Mainoo is more of the ilk of Nicky Butt.

“I’d say that Kobbie Mainoo compares more to Nicky Butt than Paul Scholes,” Keane stated during the latest episode of Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast. “But that’s because Scholes played further forward when he first joined Manchester United.

“What makes these young players successful is their personalities and their temperament, so I would put Mainoo on par with Butt and Scholes in their first three months at the club.

“It’s all about how players settle into the first team and how they cope with the challenges, playing at Old Trafford, but from what I’ve seen, Mainoo looks great, but he’s got lots to learn in that position.”

Solidifying himself as one of the first names on the team sheet over the last few months, it has been a whirlwind season for a player who only made his first Premier League start four months ago.

Mainoo’s accomplishments for United have seen him secure 7th place in NXGN’s annual ranking of the best wonder kids in world football, the highest position of any Premier League youngster.