Kobbie Mainoo receives sneaky dig after what former Premier League star saw in ‘beautiful’ scenes at Wolves vs West Ham
Mateus Mane has received plenty of acclaim following Wolves’ shock victory over West Ham on Saturday.
Wolves smashed West Ham 3-0, with the 18-year-old claiming the third goal with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box.
The youngster has been a shining light at Molineux this season, where positives have been extremely difficult to come by.
Mane impressed against Liverpool at Anfield, and he has continued to feature in Rob Edwards‘ team.
Alan Shearer was among those to laud Mane after his first professional goal, with the midfielder also winning a penalty after he was fouled by Soungoutou Magassa.
Troy Deeney digs at Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo‘s Manchester United future is in serious doubt. Ruben Amorim was reluctant to play the midfielder, but the Portuguese coach was sacked on Monday, which could serve as a boost for the youngster.
The 20-year-old has been missing from the last four Manchester United squads with a calf injury, and is attracting interest from the likes of Everton and Napoli.
Amorim was criticised for his usage of Mainoo, with the former Sporting CP boss favouring the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.
Throughout his time in charge at Old Trafford, the 40-year-old favoured a system with two central midfielders – roles that he did not think Mainoo was capable of operating, yet.
Issues off the pitch did not help matters, either, with Mainoo’s brother seen wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “free Kobbie Mainoo” last month.
After naming Mane in his BBC Sport team of the week, former Watford striker Troy Deeney referred directly to that moment.
“Eighteen years old, England youth international,” he wrote. “Doesn’t have any noise, hasn’t got any brothers with T-shirts saying to ‘free him and let him play’.
| Mateus Mane | Vs West Ham |
| Minutes played | 86 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Penalties won | 1 |
| Tackles | 4 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Duels won | 5/11 |
“He goes out, plays, scores goals, gets an assist, gets the penalty and just delivers with no fuss. How beautiful is that?
“No fuss. I saw his interview after the game, he doesn’t complain, doesn’t get too over the top, just simple. Love it.”
What Mateus Mane said after superb Wolves display
Mane played a key role in Wolves‘ first goal, too. The midfielder showed for the ball from the defender, using his body to turn Magassa before driving forward.
The youngster found Hwang Hee-Chan, who slid across to Jhon Arias for the opener. Mane would have the better of Magassa again when he beat the Frenchman to the ball for Wolves’ penalty.
But the teenager’s goal would be the standout moment. Picking up the ball in space and turning excellently, the England youth international drove towards the edge of the box before smashing into the near post.
Speaking after the game, he said: “I’ve always thought I’m fearless, I’m not scared of anything and I feel like I deserve to be here.
“It’s always a dream to play in the Premier League and you have to take it. I have to keep working, getting the ball and driving at players, it’s what I do.”