Gareth Southgate set to hold talks with Kobbie Mainoo as England face competition for Man Utd midfielder

Gareth Southgate is expected to hold talks with Kobbie Mainoo in the hope of persuading Manchester United's highly-rated midfielder to play for England, say reports.

The 18-year-old, born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, has represented the Three Lions at multiple age levels.

He recently captained England U19's to victory in the annual Marbella Cup, where he provided two assists for Simon Rusk's side as they thumped Mexico 7-1 in the final.

And a few days later, Mainoo ran the show for Manchester United in their Premier League clash against Everton – a game in which Roy Keane described his near-perfect performance as "outstanding".

The United youth product has certainly made an impression since being handed his first-team debut earlier this year.

In fact, after Sunday's outing at Goodison Park, it appears Gareth Southgate is 'desperate' to see Mainoo pledge his future to England as he remains eligible to play for Ghana through his parents.

Mainoo could be fast-tracked into England U21 squad to speed up the process, according to the Daily Star, but that would not guarantee his future.

FIFA rules state that players can switch allegiances as long as they have played three senior matches or less, and those appearances came when they were under the age of 21.

In addition to the above, there must also have been a period of three years in between a player’s last match for the country they wish to switch from.

None of those three games can come at a World Cup finals, or the equivalent at confederation level.

Kobbie Mainoo was outstanding against Everton. Image credit: Getty

As mentioned earlier, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane was full of praise for Mainoo after Sunday's full-time whistle.

“Unbelievable, I don't want to get too carried away but I'm sure we will,” he said. “He looked like he always had time on the ball and decision-making - when to go long, when to go short. Off the ball as well, what an all-round performance.

"I know the club thinks highly of him. They'll look to the game today, coming to Everton, for the manager to put him in, he obviously must trust him.

“Listen, good luck to the kid. He was outstanding. It's a great start for him. Let's hope he stays injury-free and gets a run of games for Man United because he looked like a Man United type of player today. Nice and brave, a lot of courage, loved watching him.”