Ghanaian midfielder, Kobbie Mainoo has shared that his first taste of first-team action at Manchester United came courtesy of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who invited him to experience life alongside the club’s senior players.
At just 19 years old, Mainoo has been one of the standout success stories to emerge from Old Trafford in recent years. In less than a year, he went from making his full Premier League debut to starting in the European Championship final for England.
While current manager Erik ten Hag fast-tracked Mainoo into the first team, handing him his debut during a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the 2023 Carabao Cup quarter-finals, Mainoo recently revealed that Solskjaer had previously given him a taste of first-team football.
This happened during a behind-closed-doors friendly at Old Trafford before Solskjaer’s departure in November 2021.
Mainoo recalled the experience to TNT Sports: “It was a behind-closed-doors friendly at Old Trafford and I had just played a couple of days before.
“My Under-18s coach came to me and said, ‘the first team need a player. Is your body okay’?
“I was like, ‘yeah’! “Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the coach at the time. I just went in and got 20 minutes and it was just crazy. That was my first ever experience. I don’t know If I’d even trained with the first team at that point. It was just crazy seeing [Edinson] Cavani and players like that.”
A lifelong United fan, Mainoo lived out a dream last season when he scored in the FA Cup final, helping secure a 2-1 victory over Manchester City.
