KOBBIE MAINOO has been told he can become “one of the best” midfielders in the world by former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves.
Mainoo, 21, enjoyed a winning Champions League debut in the Red Devils’ comfortable 4-0 win over Sabah on Thursday.
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But the England star had a particularly impressive display against the Azerbaijani side, running the show from deep alongside midfield partner Youri Tielemans.
Mainoo completed 81 out of 83 passes, featuring six out of six completed long passes including one delicious ball over the top for Bruno Fernandes to run onto to almost set up the opener for Benjamin Sesko.
The Carrington graduate was hailed for his performance in the clash by manager Michael Carrick, who told TNT Sports: “He’s a fantastic player, it’s pretty obvious to see.
“The way he is performing, playing that bit deeper and connecting the attacks, starting the attacks and having a massive influence on our games. He’s a real joy to have.
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“He wants to learn, to improve, to listen, and he expresses himself on the pitch and it’s great to see.”
His influence was plain to see and the stats back it up, with Mainoo having the most touches, passes, successful passes and passes into the final third despite coming off in the 64th minute.
But even before the game, fellow former Man Utd star Hargreaves piled the praise onto Mainoo.
The pundit told TNT: “I’ve never seen Kobbie play bad. Every time I watch him play football, I think, ‘How can somebody not play this young man?’
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“I just think he’s a fabulous football player. Academy-grown, didn’t cost a club a pound, and when you think about some of the fees that these players are going for.
“Obviously, they signed Santos and Tielemans for 85 [million] combined. Baleba was probably 70million. What would Kobbie be worth? It’s worth more than them all. No disrespect to any of them, but I just love his game.
“I think he can do so much, and it only really depends on who he plays with and who plays next to him. But I think Kobbie can kind of do everything in there.
“You can just pass him the ball anywhere at any time. Technically, just so gifted, glides with the ball. That’s what a Man United midfielder needs to do at all times.
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“Obviously, with Bruno in front of him, whether he plays as a six or an eight, he’s what you build around.
“He’s a star. I think he’s gonna be a superstar. He’s only 21 years old, and he plays like he’s 30. That’s how he plays football in the most stressful environment – just chilled.
“United have got to find who’s going to be Kobbie’s partner because he’s going to be at this club hopefully for a very long time.
“I think there’s a potential to be one of the best midfield players in the world, but it’s more about personnel and who plays alongside him to get the best out of his attributes.”
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Mainoo also earned a Man of the Match rating from SunSport’s Man Utd correspondent Samuel Luckhurst.
But tougher tests will await Mainoo and Co, starting with the Manchester derby on Sunday.
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