'He plays the game with such confidence': Man Utd Mainoo is compared to Scholes

  /  autty

Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo has been compared to club legend Paul Scholes by another former Red Devil.

The Red Devils' youngster continued his rapid rise after scoring a stunning late winner to during a 4-3 victory over Wolves, providing a neat finish following a sensational solo run.

The 18-year-old marked his ninth Premier League appearance since breaking into the Red Devils' first-team squad with a goal as he, once again, showcased his immense talent.

Now, given his impressive form, ex-Red Devil Dimitar Berbatov has compared the youngster to club legend Scholes.

The Bulgarian told Betfair: ‘The goal he scored against Wolves was great because it shows that he’s mature beyond his years.

‘He had the courage to try something different in the last minute of the game and it was a special moment.

‘Mainoo is a special player, but as with every 18-year-old, we must just let them play because at the moment, Kobbie is just enjoying football in its purest form and that’s what I like to see.

‘You have to go back to the likes of Paul Scholes, Giggsy, Gary Neville, and when that crop of players broke through to see players so young seem so mature.

‘Now with Kobbie, you can see he plays the game with such confidence. He’s composed and he knows how to play the game. Of course, we all hope he’ll get better because he’s still so young. Players like him are special individuals.

‘You see them play at a young age and they clearly have the talent. Now the only thing Kobbie must do is continue developing and work on the weak points of his game that will benefit the team.’

While Mainoo may only have played a handful of games for the Red Devils, he's quickly asserted himself as one of Erik ten Hag's most useful players.

Recent statistics showed that the England youngster, compared to other Under 21 players with a minimum of 500 minutes played in the Premier League, ranks fifth in successful passes made.

Mainoo currently averages 36.29 successful passes per 90, with only Chelsea duo Malo Gusto and Levi Colwill and Brighton stars Carlos Baleba and Jack Hinshelwood producing more.

Within that statistic, we can also see that the youngster boasts the third best passing accuracy, having completed 85.62 per cent of his attempted passes. Again, only Baleba and Gusto do better.

In regard to his range of passing, the United starlet averages the highest number of through balls among his peers.

The 18-year-old's 0.29 through balls per game see him trump the likes of Chelsea's Colwill and Newcastle's Lewis Miley to claim top spot.

Related: Chelsea Manchester United Gusto
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