Inside story of Kobbie Mainoo’s stratospheric rise to the England squad – as revealed by coaches and pals who know his humble mother and father (and say United star nonetheless will not park subsequent to first workforce sports activities automobiles!) TERMAN WEBSITE

Kobbie Mainoo was getting ready for a visit to Baku on Tuesday when he was informed to remain put in Burton-on-Trent.

As a substitute of enjoying for England Underneath 21s in a Euro 2025 qualifier in far-flung Azerbaijan, Manchester United’s rising star has been promoted to coach with the seniors at St George’s Park and is wanting ahead to a possible full worldwide debut in opposition to Brazil at Wembley on Saturday.

So Mainoo has been fast-tracked by way of one other stage of his improvement as a footballer. It’s one thing the affable younger man from Stockport, who doesn’t flip 19 till subsequent month, has grown fairly accustomed to by now.

His brief profession is the story of a gifted boy who has cleared each impediment put in entrance of him by a ways. He has transitioned seamlessly into United’s first workforce throughout a breakthrough season to the purpose that he’s now an computerized selection underneath Erik ten Hag. England — or Brazil for that matter — ought to be no sweat for him, both.

What separates Mainoo from so many gamers of the identical age is his persona: totally unflappable on and off the pitch, and humble, too.

He could have upgraded to a membership difficulty Mercedes A-Class and BMW 4×4 this season, however he nonetheless parks on the entrance of United’s coaching floor as a substitute of around the again the place the first-team stars go away their fleet of sports activities automobiles.

Then Mainoo walks the good distance by way of the constructing to the senior dressing room having solely acquired a locker there in January, regardless of making his debut within the Carabao Cup in opposition to Charlton a 12 months earlier.

When quite a lot of the gamers go away Carrington after coaching, Mainoo may have lunch virtually day-after-day together with his shut buddy and team-mate Alejandro Garnacho, having each risen from the Underneath 18s.

The truth that his favorite dish is rice and peas and his favorite drink is water is one other indication that he’s unlikely to fall for the champagne life-style anytime quickly. A particular deal with is Nando’s.

These near the participant would say he’s the product of a loving and steady upbringing in Cheadle Hulme, south of Manchester, the son of Ghanaian immigrants — despite the fact that his father Felix and mom Abina separated after he was born in Stockport in 2005.

Kobbie (his dad pulls up anybody who pronounces it Kobe, as in Bryant) grew up dwelling at each homes and nonetheless does, although he’s anticipated to get his personal place quickly. He has two sisters, Ama and Efia, and a half-brother, Jordan Mainoo-Hames, the previous Love Island contestant who’s Felix’s son by one other associate.

When United first noticed Mainoo enjoying for Cheadle & Gatley and introduced him to their improvement centre at Moss Aspect as an Underneath 6, his mother and father took it in turns to drop him off.

‘In the event that they had been each there, they wouldn’t converse to one another which was a bit unhappy, however there was no animosity in any respect,’ stated one of many coaches, talking to Mail Sport on situation of anonymity.

‘However no matter occurred behind closed doorways was saved there. They’re beautiful individuals. They had been grateful for what Kobbie was getting, humble and never pushy like some mother and father. They only let it take its personal course, comfortable he was having fun with himself and assembly new pals.

‘Kobbie wasn’t a shrinking violet however he wasn’t lairy, both. He would stroll in, shake your hand and, bang, he was at it.

‘He was studious — like a sponge with a thirst for data. “What are you able to present me now?” Then he’d attempt to do it and ask us to observe him.’

At Cheadle & Gatley, coach Steve Vare needed to make up particular guidelines to stage the enjoying area between Mainoo and the opposite boys.

‘He may solely rating together with his weaker foot or he needed to move it to a team-mate,’ remembers Vare. ‘I began to push him on to the opposite pitch and play him in opposition to the older boys.’

Mainoo was solely at Moss Aspect for 3 months earlier than he was fast-tracked to United’s Centre of Excellence at The Cliff aged six, having additionally left Cheadle & Gatley for Failsworth Dynamos.

By his personal admission, a participant who grew up idolising Ronaldinho was extra thinking about dribbling and methods than the midfield abilities that are actually his inventory in commerce.

Mainoo began out as a striker and performed on the wing and as a No10. Amazingly, he didn’t transfer into midfield till the 2021-22 season, when he and Garnacho helped United raise the FA Youth Cup — the younger Argentine stealing the present whereas Mainoo calmly ran it within the center.

‘I’m studying on the job!’ Mainoo jokes.

At Failsworth, he got here to the eye of quite a few rival academies and even visited Manchester Metropolis, however United had been his boyhood workforce and he dedicated to them on the age of eight. From then on, he was enjoying in older age-groups, making his debut for the Underneath 18s when he was 15.

Having studied at Cheadle Catholic Junior College and St James’ Catholic Excessive College, he moved to Ashton-on-Mersey College as a part of United’s scholarship programme.

‘Usually, we don’t put gamers into that programme till we’re assured they’re positively going to be a scholar with us as a result of we don’t need to take them away from their communities and their mates for no purpose,’ says United’s academy head Nick Cox.

‘Kobbie got here in at 12 months 7, aged 11, so he was one of many youngest to come back into that programme. Marcus Rashford did the identical, however he and Kobbie are the exceptions to the rule.

‘As a younger boy, Kobbie was very a lot as he’s at the moment. He was, and is, fairly unassuming, fun-loving, joking, all the time with an enormous smile however by no means the centre of consideration.

‘All his team-mates love him. He’s very laid again, humble, respectful, however with this steely focus and willpower.

‘He’s all the time had a stunning mix to his character: self-assurance on the pitch however actual humility off it. I’d like to say we taught him to be that approach. We didn’t. That’s his upbringing. He hasn’t modified.’

Communicate to those that have adopted Mainoo’s profession and so they all say an analogous factor. A devoted footballer decided to make it to the highest.

‘After matches, he likes to have a shower after which places on his restoration pants like professional. Employees say media duties don’t faze him one bit and also you received’t see him out in town. He likes gaming and watching different sports activities like basketball and UFC, however has solely ever performed soccer.

Ten Hag quickly grew to become conscious of Mainoo’s potential after taking on as United boss in the summertime of 2022. He introduced the teenager into first-team coaching, involved that he was changing into too snug in his personal surroundings.

‘He needed me to be extra dominant and demand the ball,’ admitted Mainoo. ‘He stated he was going to push me and demand extra from me, and he did.’

An invitation to United’s mid-winter coaching camp in Cadiz was adopted by a senior debut off the bench final season — changing into academy graduate No 246 to play for United’s first workforce — however an ankle damage sustained in opposition to Actual Madrid in Houston on the summer time tour of the US thwarted Ten Hag’s plans to begin the season with Mainoo alongside Casemiro in midfield.

The teenager wasn’t accessible till November when he made his full debut with a man-of-the-match efficiency at Everton adopted by a Champions League baptism of fireplace away to Galatasaray. He hasn’t appeared again since.

‘I loved them each — particularly Galatasaray, that was the favorite. The followers had been so loud it was loopy,’ he says, disregarding the famously intimidating environment in Istanbul. A primary aim within the FA Cup at Newport County in January was adopted by a elegant late winner in a 4-3 win at Wolves 4 days later. ‘I’ve watched it a number of hundred occasions so it’s sunk in now,’ he provides.

When Garnacho, Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund perched collectively on a pitch-side hoarding after United scored in opposition to West Ham final month — payback for Mohammed Kudus’s celebration when he punished a uncommon Mainoo mistake within the reverse fixture in east London in December — the photograph went viral.

United’s new Holy Trinity, maybe? ‘The image is simply iconic if we go on to do nice issues for the membership,’ says Mainoo. ‘If we will try this then hopefully it is going to go down in historical past.’

A profitable new contract will inevitably comply with in the summertime, however don’t count on Mainoo to get carried away. It’s why United love him and why England haven’t wasted any time bringing him into the senior set-up.

Though he qualifies for Ghana, and likes visiting there, England’s youth coaches by no means felt sufficiently nervous by that prospect to talk to the participant or his household about his nationwide allegiance. He has already performed for 3 England age teams, captaining the Underneath 19s. 

With points surrounding Kalvin Phillips and Jordan Henderson, the chance is there to forge a vibrant midfield partnership with Jude Bellingham — one other younger man blessed with maturity past his years — and Declan Rice.

If Mainoo’s profession thus far is something to go by, he’ll seize it with each fingers.