Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Kobbie Boateng Mainoo | ||
Date of birth | 19 April 2005 | ||
Place of birth | Stockport, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder [2] | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester United | ||
Number | 37 | ||
Youth career | |||
Cheadle & Gatley | |||
–2022 | Manchester United | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2022– | Manchester United | 25 | (3) |
International career‡ | |||
2021–2022 | England U17 | 5 | (1) |
2022– | England U18 | 2 | (0) |
2023– | England U19 | 6 | (0) |
2024– | England | 3 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:45, 19 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:30, 7 June 2024 (UTC) |
Kobbie Boateng Mainoo (born 19 April 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team.
Mainoo is a graduate of Manchester United's youth system and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2023. He made his first-team debut in an EFL Cup match in January 2023. Mainoo played for England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels, before making his debut for the senior team in March 2024.
Kobbie Boateng Mainoo [3] was born on 19 April 2005 [1] in Stockport, Greater Manchester, [4] to parents from Ghana. [5] He was raised in Cheadle Hulme, a suburb of Stockport, [6] and started his youth career at Cheadle & Gatley Junior Football Club, before joining Manchester United at the age of nine. [7]
Mainoo signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in May 2022. [8] His performances, including a good midfield display against Carlisle United in the EFL Trophy, earned him a call-up to the first-team squad for training in October 2022.[ citation needed]
Mainoo was named on the bench for the first time on 16 October, for a Premier League match against Newcastle United, [9] followed by making his senior debut on 10 January 2023, starting in a 3–0 home win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup. [10] He made his league debut on 19 February by coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 home win against Leicester City in the Premier League. [11]
Mainoo travelled with the Manchester United squad on their 2023–24 pre-season tour in the United States. [12] However, he picked up an injury which kept him out for the start of the upcoming season. [13] Returning from injury, Mainoo made his first league start for Manchester United on 26 November 2023, in a 3–0 Premier League victory away to Everton, in which he received the man of the match award. [14] [15] On 29 November, he made his UEFA Champions League debut, coming off the bench in the 58th minute of a 3–3 away draw against Galatasaray in the group stage. [16]
On 28 January 2024, Mainoo scored his first goal for Manchester United in a 4–2 win away to Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round. [17] A few days later, on 1 February, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 4–3 away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the winning goal coming in the seventh minute of stoppage time. [18] The goal was later awarded Premier League Goal of the Month for February 2024. [19] On 7 April, Mainoo netted his first professional goal at Old Trafford in a 2–2 draw with rivals Liverpool in the Premier League. [20]
In the FA Cup final on 25 May, Mainoo scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over local rivals Manchester City. [21] He became the first English teenager to score in a final since Steve MacKenzie for City against Tottenham Hotspur in 1981 and the youngest since John Sissons for West Ham United against Preston North End in 1964. [22] The 2023–24 season has widely been credited as being a breakthrough for Mainoo, [23] and in May 2024, he was nominated for the Premier League Young Player of the Season award. [24]
Mainoo has represented England at under-17, under-18, and under-19 youth levels. [25]
In March 2024, Mainoo was called up to the senior squad for the first time for England's friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, after previously being drafted for the under-21s. [26] He made his debut aged 18 on 23 March 2024 as a 75th-minute substitute for Conor Gallagher in a 1–0 defeat to Brazil at Wembley Stadium. [27] Mainoo made his first ever England start against Belgium once again at Wembley three days later, in which he picked up a good reception following the game where he came off after 75 minutes for James Maddison, and was eventually awarded man of the match on his first start. [28] He was named in England's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024. [29]
Mainoo is primarily a central midfielder who is also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder and attacking midfielder. [2] An intelligent and composed player, he excels in driving the ball forward, using his dribbling skills to navigate through tight spaces and evade defenders. [30] [31] [32] Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has compared his style of play to that of Clarence Seedorf. [33] Manager Erik ten Hag has praised his ability to "quickly adapt to high levels", as well as his willingness to progress and develop as a player. [34] [35] Pundit and former United midfielder Paul Scholes praised him: "Read a few comparisons between me and this kid last week... don't waste your time, he is 10 times the player I was at 19. Just love the way he receives the ball, the calmness, the awareness of what's around him and of course big goals in big games. This boy is special." [21]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Manchester United U21 | 2022–23 [36] | — | — | — | — | 3 [a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
2023–24 [37] | — | — | — | — | 1 [a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Total | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||
Manchester United | 2022–23 [36] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
2023–24 [37] | Premier League | 24 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 [b] | 0 | 32 | 5 | |
Total | 25 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 5 | ||
Career total | 25 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 39 | 5 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
England | 2024 | 3 | 0 |
Total | 3 | 0 |
Manchester United U18
Manchester United
Individual