"He's going to have an amazing future at Manchester United" - Jude Bellingham makes claim about England teammate Kobbie Mainoo
England superstar Jude Bellingham has heaped praise on England teammate Kobbie Mainoo and tipped him for a bright future at Manchester United.
The 18-year-old made his second appearance and first start in an England shirt on Tuesday, March 26 in a stalemate against Belgium. Ivan Toney and Bellingham scored for Gareth Southgate's side while Youri Tielemans scored a brace for Belgium as the game finished 2-2.
However, it was Mainoo who stole the show and was named man of the match thanks to his composed display in the middle of the park. Following the game, Bellingham lavished praise on the youngster and backed him to become a crucial player for Manchester United in the years to come. The Real Madrid star also praised him for performing well under a lot of pressure.
The 20-year-old said, as quoted by Manchester World:
"He was good tonight. It's difficult, and I am speaking like the old head here, but I know how hard it can be when there's a clamour and people put a lot of pressure on you."
Bellingham added:
"So I don't want to add fuel to the fire, but he's definitely a brilliant player and he's going to have an amazing future at Manchester United and hopefully for England as well."
Mainoo has been exceptional since breaking into the Manchester United senior team earlier this season and has established himself as a key player under Erik ten Hag. He has so far made 23 appearances for the Red Devils scoring twice in the process.
Pundit backs Manchester United to beat Manchester City for Premier League defender
Television presenter Jeff Stelling has backed Manchester United to beat Manchester City for the signature of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. The 21-year-old has emerged as a player in demand from clubs across Europe following his exploits for relegation-threatened Everton this season.
Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for the Everton defender while Manchester City have also been named as admirer. However, Jeff Stelling reckons that the Red Devils should be able to beat their neighbors for Branthwaite's signature. He said:
"It's going to happen. Everton need the money, and their biggest asset, their most sellable asset, is Jarrad Branthwaite. I think he will find himself at Old Trafford. Never mind Man City, it'll be Old Trafford, I imagine.
"With the likes of Jonny Evans, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire, all ageing players, they need to bring in some youth, and I'm thinking £45 million, something like that, would do the job."
Branthwaite has been excellent for Everton this season at the heart of Sean Dyche's defense, helping them keep eight clean sheets in 35 league appearances. He was also called up for the England national team this month but didn't play.