Harry Maguire reveals what he thought when Mainoo first showed up at training
HARRY MAGUIRE knew Kobbie Mainoo had the wow factor when he first set eyes on his young teammate.
Now Maguire is determined to help the 18-year-old through the uniquely intense pressure that comes with playing for both Manchester United and England.
The centre-back is adamant about playing in the goldfish bowl at Old Trafford, meaning United’s English players – such as Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and himself – are scrutinized more heavily than those from other clubs.
And that could serve as a warning for Mainoo as he enjoys a honeymoon period as an immensely talented United rookie celebrating his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Maguire has emerged from a professional slump – when he was largely shut down by United boss Erik ten Hag – to re-establish himself as a regular starter for England and its most famous club.
And now he believes Mainoo has the chance to join him on the plane to Germany for this summer’s Euros.
Maguire said: “I have been a huge fan of Kobbie since he first started training with us.
“I remember talking to Tom Heaton about him and saying, ‘I feel like this kid has everything.’
“He handles the ball brilliantly. He is very strong and powerful, and you can see his progression to play that number 6 role, especially for United.
“The ‘six’ role is a huge responsibility and I am sure the positional part of his game will improve dramatically.
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“You have seen how much skill and talent he has, and he fully deserves his call-up. A role and responsibility for the senior players at Manchester United is bringing in players from the youth academy.
“The club has always been built on giving young people opportunities. Many of them train a lot with us, we try to make them feel welcome and we did that to Kobbie.”
Maguire compares Mainoo to Jude Bellingham – who made his Three Lions debut at the age of 17 – in terms of his remarkable maturity.
The United defender said: “I wasn’t worried about Kobbie.
“It’s unbelievable that he’s only 18, he’s so mature. He looks a bit like Jude when he was a young boy. He has an adult head on his shoulders.
“I see his capabilities in training day in, day out. I congratulated him, he absolutely deserves this. He has been excellent for us this season.”
When asked if Mainoo could be part of England’s European Championship team, Maguire replied: “I don’t see why not.
“To play in a big tournament it is important to have experience, but also the young people come in and sometimes they play without fear and can excel.
“We have a lot of good centres, players who have shown they can do it in big tournaments.
“He will continue to work hard, I’m sure, because he is a great boy. And we’ll see where it goes.”
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Maguire’s own place in England has been the subject of debate for years, with Southgate remaining loyal to the 31-year-old, who is expected to win his 63rd cap against Brazil on Saturday evening.
Last autumn, as Maguire emerged from United’s first team, he scored an own goal in a 3-1 win over Scotland while facing dog abuse from the crowd at Hampden Park.
At the time it seemed unlikely he could force his way into Ten Hag’s United plans and prove himself as England’s first-choice player at the European Championship, but the Yorkshireman has since turned his form around.
However, Maguire believes being a United player has increased the spotlight.
He said: “Different clubs have different levels of control and that is a big aspect when fans see Gareth choosing a squad.
“I could have played for Leicester and had one bad game, six good ones, a couple of bad ones, and everyone would think I’m in great form.
“When I do that for Manchester United, it doesn’t happen like that.
“Fans see the control. Every goal we concede is analyzed and that’s the pressure of playing for United.
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“You see it a lot in careers in England. You keep building up and then you have to maintain that level to stay there, otherwise you get knocked out pretty quickly.
“Everything you do when you play for a big club is analyzed.
“Every player who has played for United and England has had a time when people have not been happy.
“Beckham had a lot, even Wayne Rooney had said a lot and he was one of the best players to ever play for his country.
‘Wayne has experienced times when he was criticized. But it’s part of playing for such a historic club. I wouldn’t change it.”
Maguire thanked Southgate for showing faith in him during difficult times but claims his England form merited his continued inclusion even if he was not a United regular.
He said: “There are a lot of people now who probably don’t think I should be in the squad. There are millions of people who think I should be.
“But given the way I have played for my country in previous tournaments and matches, the fact that I didn’t play for my club as regularly as I should for six months shouldn’t really be a guarantee that I won’t be included in a squad included. Because when I did play for my club, country, I performed well.”
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