He may only be 18-years-old but Kobbie Mainoo proved he is more than ready to step up and feature for Manchester United's first team after he starred in their 2-0 win against Leeds.
Erik ten Hag brought a 26-man squad to Oslo for their opening pre-season fixture against Daniel Farke's side.
Mason Mount was handed his first United start at the Ullevaal Stadium, while first-team regulars Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho featured alongside Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Amad Diallo.
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But it was highly-rated teenager Kobbie Mainoo who impressed most. The Stockport-born midfielder delivered a mature performance in the middle of the park, showcasing his spatial awareness and passing ability throughout.
Some have even suggested that United should drop their plans to buy a midfielder this summer and place their faith in academy product Mainoo, who was handed his senior debut in January's Carabao Cup tie against Charlton.
Here's how social media reacted to his impressive performance in Norway.
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One fan said: "Kobbie Mainoo is going to straight to the top of football. I’m not even being reactionary. He’s quality," while another wrote: "You don't need to watch a lot to realize that Kobbie Mainoo is a future superstar."
A third commented: "It won't take you more than ten minutes watching this game to realize Mainoo is destined for greatness."
A fourth said: "Kobbie Mainoo is so good I can see him breaking through into the starting lineup at Manchester United also getting his England debut by the end of year if not his England U21 debut."
A fifth added: "Mainoo might be the first technically gifted midfielder that makes it through our academy in years. He’s special."
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Alejandro Garnacho even made his feelings known after the full-time whistle, posting a comment on Mainoo's Instagram picture that read: "You are the [goat emoji]."
United recorded a relatively straightforward 2-0 win in their opening pre-season game of the summer thanks to goals from Noam Emeran and Joe Hugill.
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Erik ten Hag was delighted with the result ahead of upcoming fixtures against Lyon, Arsenal and Wrexham.
"It’s the first game and I think we have seen some good things," he told MUTV. "We’ve already trained over the last year, so we have a good foundation.
"You can see that in the game. But yeah, also some young lads came in and they fit in. We are now one week [into] training.
"We presented the rules and the principles. And what I see, what can I say: we have seen some good stuff.”
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Thoughts on Mainoo's performance against Leeds? Does he deserve a chance in the United first team this season?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: MUTV/TwitterTopics: Fan Reactions, Manchester United, Premier League, Leeds United, EFL Championship
