Of all the traditional 'big six' clubs, Manchester United probably have the proudest history of integrating academy products into the first team and turning them into superstars.
In fact, arguably one of the most well-known football quotes of the last 30 years, "you can't win anything with kids," was about the United side of the mid-90s, and if we remember right, they were just a little bit successful.
Even today, Marcus Rashford, rightly or wrongly, remains one of the most important players in Erik ten Hag's squad, and the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo means that the club's record of producing superstars for the first team is set to continue.
However, for every player that makes it, plenty don't, but one who couldn't quite make the grade is now thriving away from the Theatre of Dreams, has won comparisons to former greats and might even be better than Mainoo, maybe.
The rise of Mainoo
Mainoo made his debut for United's first team in an EFL Cup game against Charlton Athletic in January 2023. While he didn't score, he played 60 minutes and helped the team to a 3-0 win at home.
He'd make another couple of short cameos in the FA Cup and Premier League, but mainly stayed with the youth teams until he was finally given a chance to show the world his quality the following season.
In all, the 19-year-old gem made 32 appearances for Ten Hag's side last year, in which he scored five goals – including a stunner against Liverpool – and provided one assist, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement once every 5.33 games, which is quite impressive for a young midfielder in a somewhat dysfunctional side.
The Stockport-born star turned so many heads during the campaign that England manager Gareth Southgate decided to take him to Germany for the European Championships, where he made six appearances and started every match from the round of 16 through to the final.
In all, Mainoo looks like he's just the next in a long line of superstars produced by United, although another former Red Devil who's just made it into the England squad might have a claim to being an even better player than the 19-year-old.
Angel Gomes' rise
Yes, the former United prospect in question is fellow midfielder Angel Gomes, who, after failing to break into the first team, signed for French giants LOSC Lille for free in the summer of 2020 following the expiration of his contract.
The youngster was immediately sent on loan to Portuguese side Boavista for a season, during which he impressed enough to earn a place in Les Dogues' squad the following campaign and then a place in the starting lineup the season after that.
The 24-year-old has been described as being "like Paul Scholes" by former United academy graduate Dann Webber for his ability to "dictate a game with his intelligence". However, there are a couple of other similarities as well.
The first is their physical stature, with both men standing at just 5 foot 6, and the second is their positional versatility.
While the Lille ace has now moved into a role that sees him stay in midfield more often, he has played all over the pitch in the past, akin to how the former United legend was sometimes moved around on the pitch between club and national team games.
With all that said, how does the former United "wonderkid", as talent scout Jacek Kulig described Gomes, compare to their current one? Well, both players are set to be in the upcoming England squad and both can operate in central and defensive midfield. However, the Lille ace does start more games in attacking midfield, and the difference in their output reflects that.
For example, while the 19-year-old scored five goals and provided one assist last season, the Lille star scored two goals and provided ten assists, suggesting that he is the better creator out of the two.
Appearances
45
32
Goals
2
5
Assists
10
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.26
0.18
That said, even with Gomes looking like a slightly more dangerous player at the moment, you'd be hard-pressed to find a United fan willing to take him over Mainoo.
So, while it would've been great for the Red Devils to keep a hold of the talented midfielder, his move away in 2020 has worked out relatively well for everyone involved.
Their own Rabiot: Man Utd fans should be excited about 17 y/o academy star
The incredible youngster could have a bright future at the Theatre of Dreams.
ByJack Salveson HolmesSep 5, 2024