"He's playing with confidence"- Erik ten Hag delivers glowing verdict on Manchester United youngster after 2-0 Arsenal win 

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hailed Kobbie Mainoo after the 18-year-old midfielder excelled in the Red Devils' 2-0 win against Arsenal in a pre-season friendly on July 22.

Manchester United's pre-season tour in the United States continued at the MetLife Stadium yesterday as they took on Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. The Red Devils took the lead when Mainoo assisted Bruno Fernandes for the opening goal in the 30th minute. Jadon Sancho doubled their advantage in the 37th minute with a brilliant finish.

Kobbie Mainoo looked comfortable in central midfield alongside Mason Mount against Arsenal. The England U19 international put in an assured performance against the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz.

Ten Hag was pleased with the youngster's performance. He spoke to MUTV after the game (via Manchester Evening News):

"It's fantastic, Manchester United are famous for always bringing young players through and he can be one, but we have to see. We have confidence, he's playing with confidence and I really liked his performance."

He added:

"He showed it, then in the spring he got injured, so we're really happy there are more youngsters with us now and they're all doing very good, but I don't want to rise expectations too high. We have to see, the Premier League is tough, but definitely, you can see, we have some really good young players who can play a role in our squad. But the bar is high."

Kobbie Mainoo is reportedly expected to play a role in the Red Devils' squad for the 2023-24 season and was recently informed that he would be not sent on loan this summer.

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes makes Kobbie Mainoo admission after 2-0 win against Arsenal

Newly appointed Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes firmly believes that Kobbie Mainoo has a bright future at the club.

Mainoo joined the Red Devils' youth academy at the age of nine and worked his way up through the ranks. The central midfielder signed his first professional contract with the club in May 2022 and made his senior debut in January 2023 against Charlton in the League Cup.

The 22-year-old has only made three senior appearances in total, but there are high hopes for his future. After his impressive first-half cameo against Arsenal, Fernandes hailed Mainoo for his mature performance.

He told MUTV (via Manchester Evening News):

"Honestly, Kobbie is a great player, he shows great resilience. He's always ready to work. He's capabilities are high and everyone can see it [his talent]. He's good on the ball, strong, he can defend and attack."

He continued:

"You see how he attacked the space for my goal. He's still pretty young, but we see a bright future for him and hopefully he will get more minutes, more time, and he will be a great player for us."

Kobbie Mainoo is capable of playing any role in midfield, though it is believed he will be best equipped to play the No.8 role long-term. He is currently contracted to Manchester United until 2027.