Kobbie Mainoo
Personal information
Full name Kobbie Boateng Mainoo[1]
Date of birth (2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 18)
Place of birth Stockport, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Manchester United
Number 37
Youth career
Cheadle & Gatley
0000–2022 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Manchester United 10 (1)
International career‡
2021–2022 England U17 5 (1)
2022– England U18 2 (0)
2023– England U19 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:11, 4 February 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:39, 24 November 2023 (UTC)

Kobbie Boateng Mainoo (born 19 April 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder[3] for Premier League club Manchester United.

Mainoo is a graduate of Manchester United's youth system and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2023. He made his first-team debut in an EFL Cup game in January 2023. Mainoo has played youth international football for England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.

Early life

Born in Stockport, Greater Manchester,[4] Mainoo started his youth career at Cheadle & Gatley Junior Football Club, before joining Manchester United at the age of nine.[5] He is the younger brother of Jordan Hames, who appeared as a contestant on the fifth series of Love Island.[6]

Club career

Manchester United

2022–23 season

Mainoo signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in May 2022.[7] His performances, including a good midfield display against Carlisle United in the EFL Trophy, earned him a callup to the senior squad for training in October 2022.[8] He was named on the bench for the first time on 16 October, ahead of a Premier League match against Newcastle United.[9]

Mainoo made his senior debut on 10 January 2023, starting in a 3–0 EFL Cup win over Charlton Athletic,[10] and made his league debut on 19 February by coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 win against Leicester City.[11]

2023–24 season

Mainoo travelled with the Manchester United squad on their 2023–24 pre-season tour in the United States.[12] However, he picked up an injury keeping him out-of-play for the start of the upcoming season.[13] Returning from injury, Mainoo made his first league start for Manchester United on 26 November 2023, in a 3–0 Premier League victory away at Everton in which he received the man of the match award.[14][15] On 29 November, he made his Champions League debut, coming off the bench in the 58th minute, in a 3–3 away draw against Galatasaray.[16]

On 28 January 2024, Mainoo scored his first goal for Manchester United in a 4–2 away win at Newport County in a FA Cup fourth round game.[17] A few days later, on 1 February, Mainoo scored his first ever Premier League goal in a 4–3 away win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring a 97th minute winner.[18]

International career

Mainoo has represented England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.[19] He is also eligible to represent Ghana.[20]

Style of play

Mainoo is primarily a central midfielder who is also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder and attacking midfielder.[3] Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has compared his style of play to that of Clarence Seedorf.[21]

Career statistics

As of match played 4 February 2024[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Manchester United U21 2022–23 — — — — — 3[a] 0 3 0
2023–24 — — — — — 1[a] 0 1 0
Total — — — — 4 0 4 0
Manchester United 2022–23 Premier League 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 — 3 0
2023–24 Premier League 9 1 2 1 0 0 2[b] 0 — 13 2
Total 10 1 3 1 1 0 2 0 — 16 2
Career total 10 1 3 1 1 0 2 0 4 0 20 2
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Manchester United U18

Individual

References

  1. ^ "2022/23 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Kobbie Mainoo". premierleague.com. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Local hero: Kobbie Mainoo bringing cheer at troubled Manchester United". theguardian.com. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Kobbie Mainoo". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Manchester United might be about to unleash their own future midfield star vs Cadiz". Manchester Evening News. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Fans are only just discovering who Kobbie Mainoo's older brother is". SportBible. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. ^ Fay, Richard (17 May 2022). "Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo signs first professional deal". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo trains with first team ahead of Omonia clash". Metro.co.uk. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  9. ^ Railston, Steven (16 October 2022). "Who is Kobbie Mainoo? Meet the Manchester United youngster named on the bench vs Newcastle". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  10. ^ Stone, Simon (10 January 2023). "Manchester United 3–0 Charlton Athletic: Old Trafford side into Carabao Cup semi-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  11. ^ Kerr, Joshua (19 February 2023). "Manchester United 3 Leicester City 0". Manchester United. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  12. ^ Luckhurst, Samuel (19 July 2023). "Manchester United confirm pre-season tour squad". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  13. ^ Mamaniyat, Abdullah (18 August 2023). "Erik Ten Hag provides Kobbie Mainoo injury timescale". Red Devil Armada. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Kobbie Mainoo: Man Utd youngster's full Premier League debut against Everton praised by Gary Neville and Roy Keane". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  15. ^ Nelson, Joe (26 November 2023). "Who was United's Man of the Match against Everton?". Manchester United.
  16. ^ "Galatasaray 3–3 Man Utd". The Guardian. 29 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Newport County 2–4 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 28 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–4 Manchester United". BBC Sport. 1 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Kobbie Mainoo Internationals". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Kobbie Mainoo: All you need to know about Ghanaian midfielder who just signed a contract with Man Utd". ghanaweb.com. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Wolves 3-4 Man Utd: Kobbie Mainoo continues rise to stardom with 'dream' winning goal". BBC Sport. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  22. ^ Kobbie Mainoo at Soccerway. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  23. ^ "Man Utd 3-1 Nottingham Forest: Home side clinch FA Youth Cup in front of record crowd at Old Trafford". Sky Sports. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  24. ^ Ganley, Joe (25 May 2023). "Kobbie Mainoo named Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year 2022 23". Manchester United. Retrieved 25 May 2023.

External links

Manchester United F.C. โ€“ current squad
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