Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho laud Manchester United teammate Kobbie Mainoo as he makes England debut
Kobbie Mainoo made his international debut with England in Saturday's friendly game against Brazil at Wembley, and got high praise from his Manchester United teammates Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho.
"First of many," Bruno Fernandes wrote on Instagram alongside a raising hands emoji.
"What a guy," Alejandro Garnacho wrote.
Kobbie Mainoo was initially expected to stay with the U-21 squad, but England manager Gareth Southgate decided to call him up for the friendly games against Brazil and Belgium.
The young midfielder has been impressive since being promoted to Manchester United's starting lineup in November after Casemiro's hamstring injury.
He has made 23 appearances across all competitions with the Red Devils, registering two goals and two assists, as Manchester United are trying to turn things around and save their season.
Kobbie Mainoo reacts to making England debut
Kobbie Mainoo took to social media and shared his excitement after making his debut with the national team of England. The 18-year-old midfielder called his first appearance with the national team "a special feeling" and a moment "he will never forget."
"Special feeling making my senior England debut at Wembley and in front of my family. A moment I will never forget. Now we bounce back and refocus for Tuesday," he wrote in an Instagram post.
For his part, Southgate was pleased with how Mainoo played during the 15 minutes he spent on the pitch and shared his excitement about the youngster's potential.
"To get Kobbie on the pitch was a brilliant moment for him and his family. You saw a couple of turns and a couple of really composed moments that is a bit of an indication of what he might become," Gareth Southgate said, via The Mirror.
With the UEFA Euro 2024 fast approaching, the young midfielder could have a good chance of making it to the final roster for summer's tournament, especially if he continues to play well for Manchester United.
Even if this doesn't happen, though, we should expect him to get more playing time with the national team going forward. England has qualified for the UEFA Euro 2024 and will face Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia in the group stage.