Kobbie Mainoo and 🇬🇭 Ghana

[YUJAM]

He is a very talented player who may well develop into the type of player who can start for England. But part of me wonders if the call-up is all too early. I've seen too many 'African' players commit to England early only to be discarded when their form drops or better players emerge. These players would've had longer and more fulfilling careers had they chosen an African country. I am also reminded of the cautionary tale of Pedri, the Barca phenom who played so many games for Spain and Barca he developed chronic hamstring problems at 22.

I wish Mainoo was given the space and time to ease into stardom. But I know in this era of big money and high expectations in football that's not possible

[Olayemi14]

He needs to be capped 3x in a competitive game to be ineligible for a Ghana switch.

[wiseone]

[YemiBrazil]

Any Ghanaian dreaming about this should just stop. He has gone the Saka way and no going back. Too good.

He needs to be capped 3x in a competitive game to be ineligible for a Ghana switch.

[mcal]

...if he had opted for Ghana they will mismanage him, plus injuries he might pickup playing in Africa may be incurable stunting his club career.

[felarey]

The boy is on a meteoric rise. The debate on United app now is if he will make Euro 2024. I just hope he has good people around him to keep his feet on the ground. It only gets harder now that he’s a known quantity.

[wiseone]

This makes Manchester United’s purchase of Mason amount even more inexplicable (especially as United paid 55 million for a player in the last year of his contract - AND who plays in the same position as Mainoo, Fernandes, Eriksen, and Van de Beek). Why on earth did they do that when they knew they already had 3 players who play in the same position as Mount, and a talented wonder kid (who also plays in the same position) on the horizon?

The boy is on a meteoric rise. The debate on United app now is if he will make Euro 2024. I just hope he has good people around him to keep his feet on the ground. It only gets harder now that he’s a known quantity.

[wiseone]

Incredible that Mainoo's entire career consists of 7 months of football, yet he is about to play in a European Championships final ahead of far more experienced and older players.

[balo]

Absolutely no chance. If he holds fort in the United midfield, he’ll be capped by England before the end of the season.

Kolom!

On his way to Ghana.

[mcal]

Incredible that Mainoo's entire career consists of 7 months of football, yet he is about to play in a European Championships final ahead of far more experienced and older players.

...there comes a time you run into a kid who "just wanna play".
I sure hope the whole hoopla don't get into his head and falls backwards.
Be dedicated, injury free, and he will prosper.

See players like Messi, played with our own Mikel at youth level, won all and still kicking.
So it is luck of good guidance, and no serious injuries.

[wiseone]

[2think]

What a player!

[airwolex]

This boy is special. England are so lucky

[Bell]

This boy is special. England are so lucky

YEP...Ghana and Nigeria can be just as lucky, if they would just put effective programs in place to unearth people like him - Saka, Nico Williams, Musiala, Eze, etc.
Bell