Kobbie Mainoo tops off Player of the Month award with ‘dream come true’ last-minute winner for Man United
Manchester United looked to have unearthed another real star as youth player Kobbie Mainoo rounded out a perfect few days as he followed up his first Player of the Month award for January with a sensational stoppage-time winner against Wolves on Thursday night.
The Red Devils couldn’t have made a better start to the game as Marcus Rashford, fresh from all the talk of his cheeky night out, quickly silenced the haters with the opening goal inside five minutes.
It only took him three touches to get back on the scoresheet and it only took another 15 minutes or so for Man United to get a second, but as has often been the case for them this season, the two-goal cushion eventually slipped and a questionable penalty, scramble from a corner and one counter later, it was 3-3.
However, a couple of VAR checks and pauses here and there bought the visitors enough added time and in the 97th minute, the United academy product stepped up to not only score a last-gasp winner but nutmeg his opponent on the way through.
Take a bow indeed — you practically couldn’t ask for a better first league goal.
The Stockport-born midfielder’s integration into the team has been pretty seamless, quickly becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet having now strung together eight successive starts.
Speaking after the game, the second goalscorer on the night Rasmus Højlund dubbed his fellow youngster a “generational talent” already, adding that he was told by his other teammates how good Mainoo was going to be from the moment he arrived.
His manager only had similar praise for the local lad in his post-match press interview too, insisting that he has been making incredible progress, noting that he has all the “great abilities” of the ideal “modern midfielder” in both defence and attack. As for Kobbie himself, he just couldn’t stop smiling.
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As you can see, the new United starlet — who has now scored in back-to-back games after netting his first-ever goal for the club in the FA Cup last weekend — was still waiting to come back down to earth from his blockbuster moment but described as nothing short of a “dream come true”.
Just like Højlund and ten Hag, his captain Bruno Fernandes said he knew the kind of talent Mainoo has since taking a friend to watch him in the Under 18s but could never have predicted he’d kick on as quick as he has this season.
Safe to say Reds everywhere are going to be watching this young man’s career with great interest and look to have a real gem to build around for the future.
You can watch all the highlights from the end-to-end match down below:
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Featured Images — TNT Sport