Kobbie Mainoo has returned to Manchester United in the right frame of mind after a frustrating World Cup experience with England, according to Michael Carrick.
The 21-year-old was picked by Thomas Tuchel after a strong end to last season, but never got onto the pitch during England’s tournament. That was bound to be disappointing for Mainoo, particularly after becoming an important figure for Manchester United under Carrick.
Michael Carrick, however, says there have been no signs of the experience affecting his midfielder in a negative way.
Kobbie Mainoo has come back in a good place
Speaking to TNT Sports, Carrick said Kobbie Mainoo looked genuinely pleased to be back at United after taking some time away following the tournament.
“I’ve only seen positives since he came back,” Carrick said. “Since he returned, you could see that he was delighted to be here.”
Mainoo was given a chance to switch off after the World Cup, something Carrick believes was important for the youngster.
“He had a break, and it was important that he went away and switched off.”
There is already a lot of experience behind Mainoo despite his age. Carrick pointed to the highs and difficult moments the midfielder has dealt with during his young career.
“Kobbie is strong. He’s had some huge highs and some challenging times already in his career, and he’s only 21, which is incredible.”
That resilience is one of the qualities Carrick appears to value most.
“But he’s got that stubbornness about him that I love in a footballer where he deals with things so well.”
For United, having Mainoo back in a positive mindset is important. Carrick’s first months in charge saw the midfielder play an important role as Manchester United recovered from a poor position and secured Champions League football.
Now the expectation is that Mainoo can build on that progress.
Carrick expects World Cup experience to help
Carrick doesn’t pretend the World Cup experience was easy for Mainoo. The midfielder wanted to play, but had to watch England’s campaign from the sidelines.
“It’s frustrating because he wanted to go and play and do more obviously, but sometimes you’ve got to learn from other things.”
That could prove useful as Mainoo continues his development.
Carrick has also kept in contact with the youngster during the summer and made sure he knew he had the club’s support.
“We’re there to support him, and I’ve certainly tried to be there for him during the summer, but he’s in a really good place, and I’m looking forward to seeing him play this season.”
For United, that is exactly what they will want to hear.
Mainoo has already shown that he can handle pressure, and Carrick believes the disappointment in England can become another experience to learn from rather than something that holds him back.
