Gareth Southgate heaps praise on three Kobbie Mainoo traits after full England debut - but he did have one concern.
Southgate, 53, was very complimentary of England and Manchester United starlet Mainoo, 18, after his full Three Lions debut. The youngster was given the chance to impress from the start and he did exactly that.
Mainoo showcased the kind of composure and technical ability that has made him a regular at Old Trafford so soon after bursting onto the scene. It was a late Jude Bellingham strike that spared England's blushes and prevented two friendly defeats from two fixtures against Brazil and Belgium respectively.
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Youri Tielemans bagged twice for the Red Devils either side of Ivan Toney's penalty, but Bellingham popped up with one of the last kicks of the contest to ensure the honours ended even. Mainoo more than held his own playing in a midfield alongside Bellingham and Arsenal ace Declan Rice.
After the game, Southgate was asked what he told Mainoo as he came off the pitch lat in the second half. The England boss told beIN Sport: "Just that he has had a fabulous week with us", reports the Mirror.
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"Everything that we've seen with his club, he reproduced in an England shirt which isn't always the case. Very calm, receives the ball so well under pressure, strong, so we are a little bit more open playing that way but the benefits with the ball were clear to see.
Southgate has been charmed by Mainoo, and ahead of the game, he said: "He seems very calm. You can see he is taking everything in.
"When we talk tactics, he gets it all. Lots of young players these days, thanks to their academy training, can do that. You can see how comfortable he is with the ball and getting it in tight spots.
"He's come a long way in a short time, but you saw in his brief appearance the other day some of the skills he has. Sometimes, with the really young ones, they just go with the flow.
"They're not overthinking it. It's a lovely, innocent moment when he's just enjoying the game and making the most of his chances."
Mainoo only played his first full Premier League game for United less than 125 days ago, but he's now hotly tipped to be heading to Euro 2024 in Germany this summer.
