Sports
Kobbie Mainoo makes Erik ten Hag feelings clear after Sir Jim Ratcliffe decision
Manchester United chiefs including co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe decided to keep Erik ten Hag in charge after two-and-a-half weeks of deliberation following their FA Cup final win last month
Kobbie Mainoo has welcomed Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s decision to keep Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager and paid a special tribute to the Dutchman.
The young England midfielder is the first player to react to Ten Hag’s reprieve and clearly believes it is the right move, saying: “I am happy to keep building with him – he has won two trophies and there are more to come.
“It is nice to have the peace of mind that we know what manager we are going back to for pre-season.”
After recovering from an injury sustained in pre-season, Mainoo was given his club debut by Ten Hag and has been one of the United manager’s go-to players ever since. And Mainoo, who came on as a late substitute during England’s opening Euro 2024 win over Serbia on Sunday, has clearly developed a good relationship with Ten Hag.
The 19-year-old said: “I am so grateful for him that he put his trust in me and believed in me to play in the team. I can’t thank him enough.”
Mainoo replaced Jude Bellingham four minutes from the end of normal time in Gelsenkirchen at the weekend – winning his fourth cap – and is expected to fulfil a similar role when England face Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday evening.
But Mainoo reminded Gareth Southgate that he is chomping at the bit for a start, even though he knows competition in his department is fierce. He said: “I am ready to play, whether that is off the bench or starting but, obviously, there are great midfielders in the squad, playing in the Premier League and in La Liga like Jude. I am trying to train hard and be ready when called upon.”
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And Mainoo joined the long list of players lining up to acclaim Bellingham and his form for club and country, adding: “Everyone knows how great of a player he is. We see it everyday in training here and he is such a nice guy as well.
“To train with him is really good; he is demanding, he has high standards that he sets and expects, so to play with him and be around him is great. The things he has done at Real Madrid means he is rightly a contender for the Ballon d’Or.”
Southgate revealed earlier this month that he wouldn’t have any hesitation in starting Mainoo at Euro 2024, telling Channel 4: “We wouldn’t have any hesitation in starting him. He’s shown incredible maturity, he progresses the ball forward quickly. He had two fabulous appearances here in March.”
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