Kobbie Mainoo made his mark with Manchester United last season (Picture: Getty Images)
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has heaped praise on current Red Devils star Kobbie Mainoo, comparing him to one of the greatest ever midfielders, Zinedine Zidane.
Still just 19 years old, Mainoo has swiftly become a regular for Manchester United and now for England after impressing at Euro 2024 over the summer.
The teenager made his first team debut in January 2023 but it was over the last campaign that he really made his mark, climaxing with a brilliant display in the FA Cup final as United beat Manchester City.
Scholes has been thoroughly impressed by the latest standout to emerge from Manchester United’s academy and has gone as far as comparing him to legendary Frenchman Zidane.
The iconic midfielder won the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, La Liga and Serie A, among others, as a player and is considered by many as the benchmark for midfielders.
‘He’s the nearest thing I’ve seen to [Zinedine] Zidane in taking a ball, receiving the ball, cruising past people,’ Scholes told The Guardian.
‘I heard there was a young lad holding his own against Casemiro in training, sometimes better than him. But you have to go out and do it.
Zinedine Zidane is rated as one of the best midfielders in the history of the game (Picture: Getty Images)
‘The first time I saw him I remember that calmness. The way he received the ball with confidence; I just couldn’t believe such a young player could do that.’
Mainoo has been compared to Scholes himself, but the former midfield maestro of Old Trafford feels the current star is way ahead of where he was at his age.
‘That calmness didn’t come for me as quick as it did for Kobbie,’ said Scholes. ‘I’d say it came five or six years into my career. That’s why it amazes me. He’s so relaxed, the game’s so easy to him. It’s almost like poetry in motion. That calmness will be vital throughout his career. It’s [something] just in you.
‘The sky’s the limit for this lad if he keeps his head down. And he looks like the type who will stay on an even keel.’
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