Six months ago, Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Manchester United looked bleak.
At the time, he was struggling to get into the United line-up, limited to cameo appearances and heavily linked with a move away, rather than staying to become a club legend. Which was surprising for a player, Paul Scholes said, that he was ten times better than he was at 19.
All of a sudden, Mainoo, who had blown many away with his technical brilliance, was not considered good enough, or at least that was the impression Ruben Amorim left us with.
Well, at the turn of the year, INEOS were brave enough to pull the plug on Amorim’s project at M16.
Biggest winner of Amorim’s sacking
Consequently, months later, Mainoo has been the biggest winner of that decision. Recalled to the starting line-up by interim head coach Darren Fletcher and then trusted with a key role by caretaker head coach Michael Carrick, the 21-year-old has gone on to impress.
Trusted with a central, controlling midfield role, he has repaid that faith , dazzling with his composure, technical ability, and tactical maturity. Alongside Casemiro, he has turned an area of concern into an area of strength once more.
In fact, in the 14 games Mainoo has started under Carrick, Manchester United have lost just once. His brilliance at the centre of the park has truly laid the foundation for the 20-time English champions’ resurgence.
Kobbie Mainoo nominated for Premier League award
It is no coincidence, then, that Mainoo has been officially nominated for the 2025/26 Premier League Young Player of the Season award.
The youngsters who have made their mark in 2025/26 💫
Vote now for your Young Player of the Season ⬇️
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 14, 2026
Notably, the midfielder has been handed the chance to bring home an honour that Ryan Giggs (two), David Beckham, Wayne Rooney (two), and Cristiano Ronaldo all claimed during their time at Old Trafford.
Young POTY battle, who does Mainoo face
Meanwhile, Mainoo faces competition from Rayan Cherki, Nico O’Reilly, Lewis Hall, Junior Kroupi, Alex Scott, Mateus Fernandes, and Michael Kayode for the award.
The Old Trafford faithful will hope he brings it home, and what a remarkable achievement that would be, given he has played the majority of his football in the second half of the season, making only 14 league starts in total.
That said, Mainoo is not the only United player in contention for end-of-season honours. In addition, Carrick has been nominated for Premier League Manager of the Season, while Bruno Fernandes is contending for the 2025/26 Premier League Player of the Season award.
Featured image by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
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