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Fans have taken to social media to express their delight at Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo being promoted to the England senior team.
Mainoo, 18, is enjoying a breakthrough season with the Red Devils, making 20 appearances across competitions and netting twice. Despite his tender age, the midfielder has displayed enormous maturity in the middle of the park. His quality was evident in the team's 4-3 win against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the weekend.
Having impressed for Manchester United in recent months, Mainoo put himself in contention for an England senior team call-up. Many fans believed he deserved to be in the squad for the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium this month. However, he was initially selected for England Under-21s.
It appears that Gareth Southgate has now changed his mind as he has promoted the teenager to the senior team. He was present at St. George's Park on Tuesday (March 19) along with United teammates Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire.
The news has been received with open arms by fans on X (formerly Twitter), with one supporter claiming that Southgate has come back to his senses:
"Very much deserved. Southgate woke up at last."
Another fan believes Mainoo is better than all other midfielders in the England squad:
"Better than all England midfielders."
Here is how other supporters reacted to Mainoo being promoted to the England senior team:
Mainoo has represented England at Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 levels. He will now be hopeful of making his senior debut for the Red Devils when they face Brazil and Belgium on March 23 and March 26 respectively.
How did Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo fare against Liverpool?
Kobbie Mainoo started alongside Scott McTominay in a double pivot against Liverpool at Old Trafford in the FA Cup on Sunday (March 17). He was one of the best players for Manchester United on the afternoon, earning a 7.4 rating on Sofascore.
The 18-year-old registered 57 touches of the ball and lost possession nine times. He completed 31 of his 38 passes, including a key pass and an accurate long ball. He also won seven of the 10 duels he competed in.
Mainoo made five defensive actions during the game, including three interceptions and two tackles. He also displayed his ball-carrying prowess, completing all four of the dribbles he attempted. Erik ten Hag, though, replaced him with Christian Eriksen in the 80th minute.
