01 February 2024 , 23:08
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Bruno Fernandes says he predicted a bright future for Kobbie Mainoo two or three years ago after watching him play for Manchester United's under-18s.
Mainoo has enjoyed a breakthrough season for United and was the hero at Molineux on Thursday night, producing a wonderful piece of skill and finish to secure a 4-3 win over Wolves. The 18-year-old midfielder stepped up in the 97th minute after United surrendered a 3-1 lead when Pedro Neto equalised two minutes earlier.
It was his first Premier League goal and comes four days after he scored in the 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup. Mainoo was making his eighth successive start for Erik ten Hag's side and earned some big praise for him captain in a post-match interview.
Fernandes told TNT Sports: "He's a big talent. I've said it in the past - I've seen him play for the under-18s two or three years ago and I said to a friend who was in Manchester who wanted to see some youth games, I said the name of Kobbie, without knowing he was going to be this talented and this player. The talent was there. But he's better as a kid than a player. He will be in the future equally."
Mainoo then responded: "He's a good role model to look up to and to have on the pitch as well, it's really good." On his performance, he added: "It's a dream come true. It's such a tough place to come. They've had such a good home run here, so we had to get the win. I've still not come down from it. I still feel like I'm dreaming to be honest.
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"To start playing in the Premier League for my boyhood club, it's been amazing and I'm now just trying to get a good run of games in, win more and more games and get real momentum going."
Kobbie Mainoo won it late on for Manchester United (James Gill/Getty Images)Marcus Rashford put United ahead with a stunning finish into the corner from the edge of the box before Rasmus Hojlund bundled in Luke Shaw's cross at the near post after 22 minutes. But United didn't kill off the game and although Pablo Sarabia's penalty was cancelled out by Scott McTominay's header, Max Kilman's close-range finish and Neto's goal made it 3-3 in the 95th minute before Mainoo won it.
Hojlund was named player of the match, but was quick to praise his team-mate. "I didn’t get to see him in pre-season because I wasn’t there, but all of the lads were talking about him and saying he is a generational talent," Hojlund said.
"He has a nice body type, he is very mature and has a good personality as well. He’s very calm, and outside the pitch he’s a nice, relaxed guy. You can see he’s composed and shows his quality, and he showed it again tonight - he’s an incredible talent. He’s only 18 years old, and I thought I was young."