Man Utd legend claims Mainoo ‘looked like a Man City player’

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. Photo by Shutterstock.

Gary Neville heaped praise on Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo after an impressive performance against Everton.

The United legend, who hosts one of the best football podcasts around, paid a surprising compliment to Mainoo aft the match.

Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast: “It was impressive. There’s no point in getting carried away, he’s got 17 or 18 years in front of him with a lot of work to do.

“But sometimes, when you see a player come in for the first time, the temperament, he’s obviously got technical ability and skill or he wouldn’t be playing for Man Utd or getting picked by Erik ten Hag.

“What you don’t know is how they’ll handle it – and he’s gone in there at Goodison Park, in what could’ve been the most ferocious atmosphere here for many years – and he looked class.

“We know he’s got class, but he looked class in that environment. I always judge players when it’s the most difficult part of the game. And when they had that period in the first half, he was the only one who showed up and looked himself.

“The biggest compliment I can pay him, and it hurts to say this is that he looked like a Manchester City player. I was thinking he was someone Pep Guardiola would look at and think he’d want him in his midfield.”