Carrick praise for Kobbie Mainoo resurfaces as he becomes Manchester United interim

According to Goal, Michael Carrick's past comments praising Kobbie Mainoo have resurfaced as Carrick prepares to take charge of Manchester United on an interim basis at Old Trafford.

Carrick will serve until the end of the season after Ruben Amorim was sacked following United's Premier League draw with Leeds at Elland Road. Mainoo has had limited opportunities under Amorim, registering just 221 Premier League minutes this season and starting only in the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby, a lack of game time that even prompted a 'Free Kobbie Mainoo' T-shirt to be spotted at Old Trafford in December. Carrick has previously told Rio Ferdinand that academy players who "know the club and feel it" must be backed, saying, "There’s definitely a place for him there, for sure," and former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has described Mainoo as "the perfect eight" for a midfield three.

With a formation and approach change expected under Carrick, Mainoo is likely to see more game time in the second half of the campaign and should have a chance to stake a regular starting spot. Carrick takes charge ahead of a difficult run — United host Manchester City then travel to Arsenal — and arrive having won just two of their last eight matches; he previously won two and drew one of three games in his last spell in charge after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in 2021.

Key Topics

Sports, Kobbie Mainoo, Michael Carrick, Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, Premier League