Kobbie Mainoo received the ball from Bruno Fernandes and set off midway inside the opposition half at Old Trafford.
We were less than two minutes into Manchester United’s win over Brentford on Monday night, and Mainoo was about to come up with something special.
He shrugged off the challenge of Mikkel Damsgaard and kept his balance as the Dane fell to the floor. Next up was Nathan Collins, turned inside out with a little body swerve in the penalty box. But best of all was the exquisite flick with the inside of his right heel that took the ball away from Yehor Yarmoliuk before squaring it to Amad Diallo and still managing to stay upright as goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher lunged in.
Only the faintest of touches by Sepp van den Berg in front of goal prevented Diallo’s shot from going in and denied Mainoo one of the assists of the season.
The young United star has been impressive since coming in from the cold under Michael Carrick, but this was a reminder of the magic in Mainoo’s feet; the kind we saw when he scored those unforgettable goals against Lyon, Wolves and Liverpool after breaking through at United.
It is what makes him a shining jewel of United’s famed academy and potentially one of the greatest English midfielders of his generation. What on earth was Ruben Amorim thinking when he cast him out at United and pitched him in direct competition with captain Fernandes for a place in his team?
Kobbie Mainoo has impressed since being brought out from the cold at Manchester United by Michael Carrick
He has the potential to become one of the greatest English midfielders of his generation after signing a new deal at the club
The news that Mainoo has finally signed a new long-term contract at United will be cause for celebration and no little relief around Old Trafford, bringing to a close a two-year saga that could have ended so differently.
Now the 21-year-old can be the heartbeat of this United team for years to come, just as he always seemed destined to be.
But that came under serious threat from Amorim as Mainoo lost his place and lost his way at United to such an extent that he twice asked to leave the club on loan, and would have considered going for good if it came to that.
He would have gladly joined his former United team-mates Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund at Napoli who were waiting for any sign of encouragement from United to make their move.
Letting Mainoo leave would have been a massive own-goal by United. An act of unforgiveable negligence by a club that had already shown the door to two more of its academy stars in Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho after they fell out with Amorim.
And let’s not forget Hojlund either. That photo of him, Mainoo and Garnacho perched on the perimeter fence at Old Trafford, celebrating a goal against West Ham in February 2024, seemed to capture the future of United. So too did the images of the three of them dancing on the Wembley turf several months later, Mainoo in his beanie hat after scoring United’s second goal in the FA Cup final over Manchester City.
What a criminal waste it would have been to see all three young players leave within little more than a year.
Mainoo’s new contract means that he, at least, will be staying around for a good while yet after agreeing a deal until 2031 worth in the region of £150,000-a-week.
Former United manager Ruben Amorim made the bizarre decision to put him in competition with Bruno Fernandes for a spot in the team
With Casemiro saying farewell to United at the end of the season, and Manuel Ugarte likely to follow, Mainoo will be central to the midfield rebuild at the club and that’s how it should be.
He has been excellent under Carrick, playing 12 of the 13 games since the new head coach was appointed. When Mainoo was absent through injury in the defeat to Leeds earlier this month, it was clear just how much United missed him.
He returned in the win at Chelsea with one of his best performances in a red shirt to date, and was excellent again in Monday’s victory over Brentford as United moved to the brink of Champions League qualification.
England will feel the benefit too with Thomas Tuchel able to select a player who is back in favour for his club, recalling Mainoo just in time for the World Cup. It would have been a shame if Amorim’s lack of judgement had cost him that as well.
A player who became a regular in the England line-up at Euro 2024 is set to have two major championships under his belt at the age of 21.
The best thing about Mainoo is that there is so much more to come – and United can thank their lucky stars it will be at Old Trafford.
