In a move that has caught the football world by surprise, England manager Gareth Southgate has included 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo in the senior squad for the upcoming matches against Brazil and Belgium. Mainoo, who has been making waves with Manchester United, was initially set to miss out on these friendlies, having been assigned to the under-21 squad for different fixtures.
This decision comes on the heels of Manchester United’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final, a match in which Mainoo played from the start. His performance evidently impressed Southgate enough to warrant a promotion to the 26-man senior squad.
The announcement of Mainoo’s inclusion was made through England’s social media, highlighting his first senior international call-up. Although Mainoo is also eligible to represent Ghana, this call-up positions him to potentially make his senior debut for England in the prestigious setting of Wembley Stadium against Brazil. This could mark the beginning of an exciting international career for the young midfielder.
“Congratulations to Kobbie Mainoo, who has received his first senior international call-up!”
Mainoo is also eligible to play international football for Ghana through his parents but could now make his senior debut for England when they face Brazil at Wembley on Saturday.
Asked about a potential call-up for Mainoo when the England squad was initially announced, Southgate said: “I think that he’s doing brilliantly for a young player and we’re never slow to put a young player into seniors. But he’s only had a handful of games and you have to be very careful development-wise in making those decisions at the right time.
“So we think ideally, we should allow him that space to develop at his own speed. He’s not at the point in terms of number of games that Jude (Bellingham) and Bukayo (Saka) were when they came in for the first time.
“But I repeat: he’s doing really well for a young player. He’s a good footballer — you can see that. And he’s getting some fabulous experience with Manchester United at the moment. And he looks a really good character.”
