Tom Huddlestone compares Kobbie Mainoo to Premier League legend

Manchester United youth team player-coach Tom Huddlestone has recalled the first time he saw Kobbie Mainoo at the Carrington training complex.

The former Premier League midfielder joined United’s youth setup in a hybrid role at the start of last season.

Huddlestone’s role allows him to aid the coaching on and off the pitch at the club, although some have questioned why the 37-year-old is involved in games.

Read More: What happens in the Man United dressing room when Lisandro Martínez isn’t there

The ex-Hull City man explained the benefits of his job in an interesting interview with SPORTbible.

He would also detail his first day on the job, when he noticed Kobbie Mainoo in the youth side and compared him to Manchester City legend Yaya Toure.

“On my first day at Carrington, I came up and had a look at the lads in training,“ he recalled. “I was speaking to a friend on the way back home and said, ‘There are two lads who stood out during that session and one of them is a player called Kobbie Mainoo. He looks like a younger version of Yaya Toure.’

“To do what he’s doing as an 18-year-old, at a club of this size, is some going. It looks like he’s been doing it for years. He’s as composed as anyone I’ve ever seen and that comes from self-confidence in your touch, your manipulation of the ball and your passing ability.”

Speaking on the other player that caught his eye, Huddlestone continued: “The other player was Omari [Forson]. He reminds me of the way Bukayo Saka plays. He’s good with both feet and can finish very well, especially with his left foot.”

Forson made his full Premier League debut against Fulham last weekend. Meanwhile, Mainoo has become a mainstay in the first-team side.