England fans have lauded Kobbie Mainoo for his standout performance during their 2-2 draw against Belgium on Tuesday night, with some claiming it would be ‘crazy’ for the Man United youngster not to go to the Euros this summer.
The 18-year-old Man United sensation was one of the best players on the park and even left Gareth Southgate speechless after the game with the Three Lions boss admitting he ‘could not believe how young Mainoo is’.
Mainoo was also voted as England’s man of the match by fans for his standout performance, showcasing his outstanding ball control and physicality to win back possession and drive England forward on numerous occasions.
His highlights reel from the match is going viral on Reddit and showcases the impact he had on the game, with Mainoo also instigating the move that allowed Ivan Toney to win a penalty and bring the scores back to 1-1 after Youri Tielemans put the visitors ahead.
The clip also evidences his excellent vision too, picking out several of his team-mates to mount attacks on the Belgian goal as well as his chance late on in the game that was just kept out by the shin of goalkeeper Matz Sels.
Fans have praised Kobbie Mainoo after his highlights vs Belgium went viral on social media
The 18-year-old was a standout during the match with Gareth Southgate also lauding him
Mainoo looked well ahead of his years during the match, which was only his second England appearance after he came on during their friendly against Brazil on Saturday. Even under the pressure of the Belgium defence, Mainoo showed his composure to move the ball around quickly and accurately to find his team-mates higher up the field.
Fans took to social media to praise the young star, with one writing: ‘Best player on the pitch for England, effortlessly easy. Wish he got that goal.’
‘It would be crazy if he doesn’t go to the Euros. His performances aren’t flukes. He’s consistently the best or one of the best players on the pitch for club and country now,’ one said.
Many also lauded his composure on the ball, with one even claiming England need more players like him that stay calm when being pressed.
‘What I liked the most about his game is how calm he is under pressure, he simply doesn’t make any mistakes and doesn’t automatically pawn off the ball the second he feels the press, we need more players like him in the team,’ another added.
Another fan wrote: ‘He just makes football look so simple. One touch kill the ball exactly where he wants it while we’ve still got players needing four touches to bring the ball under control.’
‘He’s just so composed and focused. Cool as a cucumber. Great Career ahead of him,’ one said.
England fans also voted the Man United midfielder their man of the match for his performance
Some supporters claimed that it would be ‘crazy’ for Mainoo not to go to the Euros now
It was only his second appearance for England, with Mainoo making his debut against Brazil
The Man United star instigated the move that allowed Ivan Toney to win a penalty to make it 1-1
Southgate praised the midfielder saying it was ‘hard to believe how young the midfielder is’
While England were not able to seal victory, with Jude Bellingham scoring an equaliser in the fifth minute of injury time to cancel out a second goal from Tielemans.
All eyes now will turn to who Southgate will be picking to fly to Germany for this summer’s Euros, with Mainoo, on Tuesday’s performance, perhaps being on the squad list.
‘Kobbie from a creative aspect gave us something different,’ Southgate said, reflecting on Mainoo’s impact after the match.
‘His attributes are there for everybody to see, to receive under pressure, ride challenges manipulate the ball in tight areas. We are very happy with what he’s done – you can’t believe how young he is.’
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
