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‘Best player in the squad’ – Huge praise for Man Utd starlet after FA Cup heroics

Kobbie Mainoo received widespread praise following his Player of the Match performance for Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.ย 

The 19-year-old scored what was ultimately the winning goal in the 39th minute, doubling the Red Devils’ lead after Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring against Manchester City.

Mainoo has enjoyed a breakthrough season for Man United, making 32 appearances in all competitions, and topped it off with the first major silverware of his senior career.

Read – Man Utd win FA Cup after ‘nobody believed in us’

Club legend Wayne Rooney, who is the newly appointed Plymouth Argyle manager, was very impressed by Mainoo’s mature performance in midfield.

“To come into the middle of the pitch and dominate the way Kobbie Mainoo has done for large portions of this season and to perform the way he did against this Manchester City team,” he told BBC One.

Rooney added that Mainoo and Garnacho “have been the stand out players for Manchester United this season. For them to be the match winners is great, I’m really pleased for them.”

Read – Ten Hag comments on Man Utd future following FA Cup win

Garnacho believes that the “incredible” Mainoo is “the best player in the squad and heโ€™s the youngest. Weโ€™re also good friends. I’m so happy for him.”

Man United captain Bruno Fernandes added: “Kobbie Mainoo is really good, such a quality player and you can see the composure he had with the finish. He came through the Academy and once more on the biggest stage in the world he showed it again.

Erik ten Hag has received a lot of criticism this season, but one of his best decisions was to give the teenager a run in the first team.

He was really so enjoyable to watch,” the Dutchman told BBC One. “At his age, heโ€™s an example. We wanted him to come in and he got a bad injury in pre-season.”

Asked how far Mainoo can go in his career, Ten Hag cautioned: “I think we have to keep it calm. Here in England youโ€™re very good to push players too high and then you hammer them with one or two bad performances.”

Read – Ten Hag lays out Man Utd transfer plans

Read More – 10 defining moments in the Manchester Derby rivalry

See Also โ€“ Five of the best ever Manchester Derby goals

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Ste McGovern
Ste McGovernhttps://bsky.app/profile/stemcgovern.bsky.social
Freelance football writer with bylines for The Football Faithful, Manchester Evening News, BirminghamLive, MARCA, Balls.ie and the Nottingham Post.
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