Man Utd stars agree that surprise player should be 'one of the first names' on teamsheet

Manchester United stars have agreed that one player should be 'one of the first names on the teamsheet', according to a new report.

United have had a difficult season so far under Erik ten Hag, sitting in eighth place in the Premier League on 32 points ahead of the midweek fixture schedule.

They are also out of the Champions League and Carabao Cup, and narrowly avoided an FA Cup upset in beating League Two side Newport County in the fourth round on Sunday.

A public dispute between Ten Hag and Jadon Sancho dominated the early part of the season, while injuries to Mason Mount, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire, and the poor form of Marcus Rashford, Antony and others, has led to plenty of struggles this term.

One player that has impressed many, though, is Kobbie Mainoo, with the 18-year-old midfielder slotting perfectly into United's midfield this season.

After being slowly introduced to regular football, the deep-lying playmaker has started each of his side's last five Premier League games, and scored his first senior goal in the win over Newport.

And according to the Daily Mail, Mainoo's team-mates are well aware of his potential to have an excellent career.

It is claimed that, as per sources, 'many senior players' have been impressed with the 18-year-old, particularly in the way that he has 'adapted to the first team environment'. His 'technique and cool temperament' are cited as two of Mainoo's perceived major strengths.

The youngster has emerged as one of few positives for United this term, with the contributions of Alejandro Garnacho on the left wing showing that the club's academy system is still going exceptionally strong - even if the performances of the first team aren't quite there on a regular basis.

While the views of United stars does not come as a surprise now, given Mainoo's incredible form, you would have expected several other names to be first on the teamsheet before the season began.

Speaking to United's official website earlier this month, fellow midfielder and direct competitor Christian Eriksen spoke of how impressed he has been with Mainoo.

He explained: "I'm very impressed. Luckily I've seen him in training and I've seen him close by.

"I really like what I see. I mean, he's an exceptional player. He's still a very young lad, but he's doing really well, and he's getting his spot in the team."