Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
After waiting for his moment for much of this season so far, Kobbie Mainoo had the perfect opportunity to finally land a starting role at Manchester Unitedafter a brilliant appearance in the 4-4 draw against Bournemouth.
With Casemiro ruled out by suspension for the subsequent trip to Villa Park, this was Mainoo’s opportunity to stake his claim, showing his manager why he should be a regular fixture in this team again.
There was undoubtedly then a collective groan from supporters when the 20-year-old’s name failed to appear on the final team sheet, with the youngster’s injury also causing him to miss the opportunity to capitalize on Bruno Fernandes’ own absence against Newcastle United.
Luck, it seems, is not on Mainoo’s side at the moment, with the 2024 FA Cup Final hero no longer the golden boy at Old Trafford under Mainoo’s stewardship. Ruben Amorim diet.
He certainly was during Erik ten Hag’s time at the helm, having risen from obscurity to become one of club and country’s favorites in the space of just six months.
Remembering Mainoo’s rise in 2023/24
A central figure in United’s 2022 FA Youth Cup triumph, it actually took until November 2023 for Mainoo to get a first Premier League start, having already received three senior cameos during the 2022/23 campaign.
Injury hampered his start to the following season, but the then-teenager didn’t look back from his Man of the Match outing at Goodison Park, becoming the heartbeat of Ten Hag’s midfield.
Since that first senior start at the end of November, Mainoo’s first goal came in January at Newport County, before moving on to that a superb solo effort to secure victory at Molineux a few days later.
Amid a turbulent campaign, the Stockport native was undoubtedly United’s shining light, scoring memorably in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford, before his crowning glory at Wembley in May.
Such was his rise that Mainoo had already earned senior international recognition by this stage after being called up to Gareth Southgate’s squad in March, before making his mark at this summer’s European Championships.
After a heavy and turgid group stage, the midfield sensation helped the Three Lions through the knockout stage, starting every game thereafter as Southgate’s men were ultimately narrowly beaten in the showpiece.
It is remarkable that in the space of just over six months, he went from unknown to starting a major tournament final for his country.
This journey should be a source of encouragement for one of his current colleagues at United…
Teenage sensation could be the new Mainoo for Man Utd and England
As was the case with Mainoo, a lot can change between the start-of-season international breaks and March, with even a player yet to earn a cap standing a chance of making Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the next World Cup.
That might be a bold claim given his limited playing time so far, but the 19-year-old Ayden Paradis could be a contender to follow in Mainoo’s footsteps, with a senior chance in England surely not too out of reach.
Signed from Arsenal for just £1million in January, having made just one senior appearance for the Gunners, the midfielder-turned-centre-back has since been something of a revelation, fitting in comfortably when called upon.
Although an injury suffered against Leicester City late last season hampered his progress, the teenager had already shown enough in his fleeting appearances, with club legend Wayne Rooney among those who hailed the deal as a “real coup d’état” for the club.
These early promises were followed by a difficult start to 2025/26, with a player with “a Paul Pogba-like swagger” – in the opinion of his Terry Bobie, grassroots football coach – having been on the outskirts after starting the debacle at Grimsby Town.
|
Ayden Heaven – 25/26 PL statistics |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (*per match) |
Save |
|
Games |
7 |
|
Begin |
5 |
|
Clean sheets |
1 |
|
Success accuracy |
91% |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Total duels won |
64% |
|
Ground duels won |
56% |
|
Aerial duels won |
70% |
|
Lost possession |
3.0 |
Even his first start against West Ham United was cut short after a half-time substitution, with the imposing defender receiving an unnecessary early yellow following a careless foul on Jarrod Bowen.
However, in the absence of Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt, Heaven has since retained his place, starting with Wolves, Bournemouth and in the recent victory over Newcastle, in which he took home the Man of the Match gong.
As Amorim himself admitted, Maguire and De Ligt could now be fighting their way back into the team, with Heaven looking so assured even amid the chaos against the Magpies, notably winning 100% of his duels from a right centre-back role, according to Sofascore.
What particularly caught the eye was the Pogba-like left-footed ability to slide forward with the ball from deep, putting on a performance style that completely belied his age.
It is for this reason, at a time when England lack real depth in central defence, that Heaven should be a wildcard contender for a World Cup place, with places up for grabs apart from John Stones, Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa.
Maguire’s days as a Three Lions regular appear to be over, but Heaven could be United’s next English representative at the heart of defence, having would have refused this opportunity to change allegiance to Ghana.
Indeed, just as Mainoo solved – albeit briefly – Southgate’s midfield conundrum at Euro 2024, the Red Devils’ new teenage star can do the same in central defense under Tuchel.
