Michael Carrick could hand Kobbie Mainoo a pivotal role in his Manchester United team having identified him as the player the club must ‘build a team around’.
Following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal last week, Carrick is set to be handed the reins at Old Trafford as interim head coach until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Mainoo is among the players hoping a change in the dugout will transform his fortunes having failed to start a single Premier League match under Amorim.
The 20-year-old broke into the first-team under Erik ten Hag, playing a key role in United’s 2024 FA Cup triumph before going onto start for England in the European Championship final against Spain later that summer.
But his exile has left his hopes of making the Three Lions squad heading to North America for the World Cup this summer hanging by a thread.
Carrick’s arrival could change that. Mainoo was still two years off his senior debut during Carrick’s brief stint as interim boss in late 2021 but the five-time Premier League winner holds the academy graduate in a very high regard.
Carrick sat down with his former United teammate Rio Ferdinand in September, insisting it is young stars like Mainoo who the club should be building a team around.
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‘To have a talent like that, as he’s shown already, you’ve got to have players like that,’ Carrick said. ‘They get it, they know it, let’s build around them. There’s definitely a place for him (Mainoo) there for sure.’
Carrick also provided insight into where he might play Mainoo in the coming weeks.
His limited appearances this season came playing in a midfield two in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, taking up a similar role alongside Manuel Ugarte against Brighton in what was Darren Fletcher’s final game in charge.
Carrick has previously suggested Mainoo can thrive playing further forward.
Asked by Ferdinand where he would play Mainoo, Carrick said: ‘He’s more of an attacker. I don’t see him as a holding midfielder. He’s that line above where he needs a little bit more freedom.
‘He can defend the higher line but I think that bit deeper, around the centre-backs, that’s a bit of a different thing completely. I see him playing that little bit higher and creating. I think he’s got a massive future. I really like him, he just needs that patience and a little bit of a break again.’
Mainoo will hope to have the chance to make up for lost time under Carrick but former United striker Michael Owen has warned he cannot expect to be gifted a place back in the side and has ‘no more excuses’ if things don’t work out.
‘Now it’s down to Mainoo,’ Owen told Metro this week. ‘It’s all right blaming people, but of course, his time is now going to come and he’s got to take it.
‘Right now, he will be one of the happiest people about, but now it’s going to be squarely on his toes, and there’s no hiding place or excuses.
‘He’s got to now prove that Amorim was wrong by not playing him as much. He’s probably going to get that opportunity, so we’ll see.’
