Bruno Fernandes lead the praise for Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo after his impressive England debut.
Just days after his late call-up to the senior squad, 18-year-old Mainoo made his Three Lions bow in the 1-0 friendly loss to Brazil on Saturday night.
The midfielder came on in the 75th minute, replacing Conor Gallagher, and even though England ended up conceding the decisive goal just minutes later, he left a strong impression.
He showed great composure, completing all 20 of his passes, and fit into Gareth Southgate’s midfield nicely, with many fans and pundits optimistic about his chances of being selected for Euro 2024.
After the game, Mainoo shared on Instagram: ‘It’s a special feeling to make my senior England debut at Wembley and in front of my family.
‘A moment I will never forget. Now we bounce back and refocus for Tuesday.’
Mainoo’s call-up comes after a fantastic few months for United, with club captain Fernandes being one of the people to praise the youngster, and the Portugal star responded to Mainoo’s post with: ‘This is just the beginning.’
United and England defenders Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire added: ‘This guy is a great player’ and ‘well deserved, mate.’
Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are guaranteed starters for England, and there is optimism that Mainoo could be the final piece in Southgate’s midfield.
The Arsenal player also replied to the post with: ‘You have many more moments like this to come! Congratulations, bro.’
As for the Three Lions boss himself, Southgate said of Mainoo’s cameo: ‘Kobbie had a chance to get some experience.
‘We needed to rest some of the team because we have to manage their playing time a bit, so it was a unique situation in such an important game, but that’s where we are.
‘To have Kobbie on the field was a wonderful moment for him and his family. You saw a couple of impressive plays and some really composed moments that give an indication of what he could become.’
Mainoo will be hoping to earn his second cap on Tuesday night, when England play against Belgium in what is the final game before Southgate selects his 23-man squad for the Euros.
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