Kobbie Mainoo started his first Premier League game of the season for Man Utd in their 2-0 derby day win at Old Trafford last weekend.
Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United running during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 17, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Kobbie Mainoo impressed on his first start of the Premier League season(Image: 2026 Allstar)
View Image
If Kobbie Mainoo felt his Manchester United career was stuck in the slow lane under the tutelage of Ruben Amorim, a coach who didn't seem to get what the academy graduate can offer, then it hasn't taken him long to get back on track under Michael Carrick.
Mainoo has gone from considering a loan move away from Old Trafford to being back in the first-team picture since Carrick took over via Darren Fletcher, and he has spent the last few weeks back under the guidance of coaches who appreciate his talent.
Carrick first got to know Mainoo when the Stockport-born midfielder was a 13-year-old whippersnapper turning heads in the academy with his close control and dribbling ability, and he is now relishing him giving him his head at first-team level.
Mainoo hadn't started a Premier League game this season until last weekend's Manchester derby, but Carrick immediately restored him to the side and said he could sense the enjoyment the 20-year-old was getting out of his game.
"I think part of a career is a few ups and downs and sometimes it goes in different trajectories," he said. "But I think we've seen last week what Kobbie can bring. It was great.
"He's quite straight-faced and he doesn't give you an awful lot, but you could see the way he played and he expressed himself. He was enjoying himself and to see him like that was great."
Mainoo looked a star in the making when he broke through at United as a 17-year-old and he quickly forced his way into the England set-up, starting a European Championship final at 19 years and 86 days.
He lost his way under Amorim and could have joined Napoli on loan this month had the Portuguese head coach not been sacked, but Carrick believes player's like Mainoo should be part of the fabric at Old Trafford.
"I've said it before, this club needs young players coming through and being the foundation for understanding what it means," he said. "Not just for the players or the squad, but for the club and for the supporters. I think it's something that we need to grasp and we need to keep building on.
"Kobbie's a prime example, to come through so quickly and have the rapid rise, and to play in some unbelievably big games and impact those big games at such a young age shows an awful lot of quality in terms of character and to be able to handle it."
If Mainoo is the flavour of the month again at Old Trafford, then Diogo Dalot continues to receive criticism as he endures a difficult season. The 26-year-old is now back at right-back having played wing-back on both flanks under Amorim and Carrick insists the under-pressure defender still has plenty to offer.
"There's been a few ups and downs with performance, not individually but collectively," he said. "It's not easy to get your rhythm and find your top form individually but I think Diogo, from what I've seen here, I've known him for a while and seen him this week.
"He's really focused, he's desperate to do well, loves playing for the club. You can see that and as I said he played fantastically well last week so there's a lot for him to build on."