Former Queen Park Rangers defender, Anton Ferdinand, has insisted that Kobbie Mainoo is a better player than Bukayo Saka was at the age of 18.
In his latest interview with Take On, Anton Ferdinand revealed this saying. “Listen, I’m going to start. Kobbie Mainoo is an unbelievable talent. Generational. 100 percent. Not just because of what he does on the ball and the way he is on the pitch, everyone would love someone like that on their team, coming through their academy.”
“To go from under-18s or 19s captain with England straight into the first team and look like he’s been there for years tells you everything about the kid. He’s done that at Manchester United. So there’s no question about him. The only question you could have is, Can that continue?”
“That’s where the question is going to be. But what we’re seeing right now is something that we’ve not seen in a long, long time, by the way. People talk about Saka. Saka wasn’t doing this, in my opinion. He wasn’t doing this at 18. He was inconsistent. Kobbie Mainoo is not inconsistent.”
Kobbie Mainoo was the breakthrough star for Manchester United this season. He had made 25 appearances for both club and country. The midfielder had scored two goals and created two assists for Manchester United this season.
His performance against Belgium in the England friendly match had attracted a lot of attention from the press, with many suggesting the midfielder will likely be part of the English 25-Man squad ahead of the Euros 2024.
Bukayo Saka Stats at the Age of 18 Compared to Kobbie Mainoo’s
Bukayo Saka became 18 years old on September 5, 2019. In 2019/20 season, he became a part of the Arsenal first-team squad, where he ended the season with four goals and 12 assists in 39 matches in all competitions.
That was a crazy stat compared to Kobbie Mainoo’s, who had just two goals for the Manchester United senior team at the same age.
In terms of comparing their national team stats at the age of 18, Bukayo Saka was still playing for England U-23, but Kobbie Mainoo is already playing for the three Lions of England first team.
The only thing that makes Kobbie Mainoo to be ahead of Saka at the age of 18 is his national team appearances for England senior team.
How old is Kobbie Mainoo?
Mainoo was born on April 19, 2005, in the city of Stockport, England. He is currently 18 years old, with a height of 5 feet and 9 inches.
How much does Kobbie Mainoo earn?
The midfielder earns £20,000 a week and £960,000 a year at Manchester United. However, the Manchester United hierarchy are looking forward to increasing his salary.
Kobbie Mainoo Stats
The midfielder had made 85 appearances, scoring eight goals and creating six assists in all competitions. He had received three yellow cards and zero red cards so far in his career.
Out of the eight goals scored, four were for Manchester United U-18, two for Manchester United, and two for Manchester United U-21.
Mainoo made his international debut for England on March 23, 2024. He proceeded to make two appearances without a goal.
