Who is Kobbie Mainoo? Background, play style, and personality

Manchester United’s latest academy product made his Premier League debut against Leicester on Sunday, a debut 17 years in the making

Kobbie Mainoo became the latest of a long list of young players to make their Premier League debut in a Manchester United shirt with his first minutes on Sunday, replacing Marcel Sabitzer in the 80th minute against Leicester City, and as the cliché goes, it’s the first of many.

Mainoo has been a recent mainstay in Erik ten Hag‘s matchday squads, joining academy teammate Alejandro Garnacho in graduating from youth player to first team member.

But just who is he, how does he play, and how will he fit in?

Kobbie Mainoo: The Person

Kobbie was born on the 19th of April 2005 in Stockport, making him a local lad within the Manchester crop. He began his footballing career at Cheadle & Gatley Junior Football Club, before joining Manchester United at the age of nine.

He rose through the Manchester United Youth Ranks very quickly, and was a prominent feature within the FA Youth Cup winning squad of the 2021/22 season. This competition has been previously won by the likes of David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Pogba, becoming a well-trodden path into stardom for United Academy players.

When speaking to The Athletic, United youth coach Travis Binnion said: “With young players, they’re up, they’re down, and sometimes they get carried away with themselves. Then they get a reality check and struggle to deal with it.”

“The thing with Kobbie is that he comes into the club every day, he applies himself really well. He’s never too high, never too low. He’s got quite an old head on his shoulders.”

Kobbie had opportunities to impress Erik ten Hag during the World Cup break, and managed to get himself on the scoresheet in a friendly against Spanish side Cadiz. Ten Hag then rewarded Kobbie with his first team debut against Charlton in the FA Cup.

Ten Hag told MUTV on the player: “For, all of us it is a big game and for him, it is a great opportunity.

“He did well at the winter camp in Spain, he did very well against Everton in the (behind-closed-doors) friendly, so he deserved to play.”

After further experience in and around the first team as an unnamed substitute in many fixtures, Kobbie finally made his Premier League debut against Leicester. The rest can be history…

Kobbie Mainoo: The Player

Mainoo profiles as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder. In his few short first team appearances, Ten Hag has deployed him as a No. 6 and as a No. 8. Given Kobbie’s exceptional physical qualities and creative ability, it’s safe to assume that his future likely lies as an No. 8, potentially as an Old Trafford regular.

Ten Hag’s on the ball structure cycles between a 3-2-5 and 3-1-6, similar to Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta’s setups, deploying two No. 8’s that can make late runs into the box and be a force in the final third. As such, it is easy to envisage Mainoo in the left sided midfield role.

On the ball, Kobbie is technically sound and progresses play calmly, usually dictating the tempo of attacks. He is also very physically gifted, often riding tackles and shielding the ball which grants more possession for the team. Off the ball, Kobbie is a hard worker and presses very well, which is an expectation.

Many have even compared Mainoo to fellow Englishman Jude Bellingham and fellow academy graduate Paul Pogba, certainly esteemed company.

Whether Mainoo continues to impress Ten Hag remains to be seen, but the work he has put in so far has helped him grab the attention of the Dutch manager, and there is little doubt that considering his immense potential, Mainoo could well become a regular player within the United squad over the course of the next few years.