'Huge talent' - Michael Carrick praises 'quite incredible' Manchester United star

Of all the changes Manchester United have made under Michael Carrick, there are few as impressive as the rejuvenation of Kobbie Mainoo in the heart of midfield.

United fans have always been aware of the 20-year-old's huge potential and excitement, but that talent went to waste under former head coach Ruben Amorim. Mainoo had not started a Premier League match this season until Carrick took charge, after he was told that he competed with Bruno Fernandes for the same central midfield role.

Carrick changed that immediately, with a formation switch that utilised Fernandes higher up the pitch and Mainoo in his favoured central midfield role as well. It has already worked wonders, with the midfield duo at the heart of their five-match unbeaten start under the new head coach, four of which have been wins. Mainoo's resurgence has hardly been a surprise to the head coach, who has known him for seven years already.

Carrick praises Mainoo talent

Kobbie Mainoo is not only a key part of the Manchester United side again, but he could also earn a recall to the England squad ahead of the World Cup this summer. It has been a dramatic shift for the academy graduate, who only started his first Premier League match of the season last month, with Michael Carrick eager to nurture his enormous talent.

Carrick is aware that there is still a lot more to come from the United youngster, but right now, the focus is on letting him play his game and enjoy being an important part of the starting line up again. "I've known Kobbie a long time. I started working with him when I think he was 13 or 14, when I was starting to do my coaching badges - a good few years ago. Just little bits. And then, obviously, when I was here the first time, he was in and around a little bit," Carrick told The Football Interview.

“So I think knowing him and having experience with him and seeing him perform at such a level on such big occasions... I said earlier about coaches being able to cope with being here and at the level to deal with it. What Kobbie's done at such a young age is quite incredible really. We forget how young he still is. I was just a big fan of watching him play and knowing what he was capable of. So it wasn't really a big decision to play him. And, to be fair, it's not easy when you haven't played to find your rhythm and find your form.

“There are things he can get better at, things he can improve on, but we haven't really got started on any of that because we're just letting him go and find his flow and find his rhythm of playing football again. I've been really conscious of not giving him an awful lot - a couple of little pointers, a bit of positional things and some little bits here and there - but trust in what he is. He's a fantastic footballer and he's got a huge talent.

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