Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has branded Kobbie Mainoo as ‘ten times’ the player he was at 19 years old, following his stellar display in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Mainoo doubled United’s advantage over Manchester City at Wembley just before the break, assisted superbly by club captain Bruno Fernandes, following Alejandro Garnacho’s finish on the half-hour mark.
Jeremy Doku’s late strike injected tension into the match, but the Red Devils stood their ground, ultimately securing the trophy with Mainoo’s goal proving to be the winner.
At full-time, Wayne Rooney – the club’s record goalscorer who played for United from 2004 to 2017 – hailed the 19-year-old, saying: “The composure he has shown on the ball, for such a young lad, has been excellent.
“It’s so good to see a player from the academy coming through and dictating the games for Manchester United.
“He’s had some moments where he’s struggled, but I think this afternoon he’s been absolutely brilliant.”
Scholes, who spent almost his entire career at Old Trafford, scoring over 150 goals, also shared his praise for Mainoo.
Accompanied by an image of the young midfielder slotting the ball past City stopper Ortega, Scholes’ Instagram story said: “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.
“I 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… and he’s a f***ing red.”
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