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Kobe Mainu seems to be a player with the qualifications to become the best midfielder in English history.
England, led by head coach Gareth Southgate, won 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semifinals against the Netherlands at Zignal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany on the 11th (Korea time). The final match of this Euro tournament was made by a showdown between England and Spain.
When the 2023-2024 season began, no one thought that Meino would be the mainstay of the English national team. Mainu was born in 2005 and was a hugely promising prospect at Manchester United, but he was only the first player to set foot in the first team in the 2022-2023 season.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has expressed his intention to appoint Mainu from the pre-season, but Mainu was seriously injured and was only able to play in November last year. Mainu showed amazing skills in the English Premier League (EPL) and quickly rose to Manchester United's main midfielder.
Mainu's greatest strength is his calmness and skill. Although he is not a player with a cool ball development, he has excellent ability to drive the ball directly up. It accurately distinguishes between the moment you have to pass when you receive the ball and the situation where you can dribble. The reason why Maino can advance the ball is because he has that kind of technology. Although he has almost low experience in the first team, Mainu does not seem to be nervous at all even in a big game.
Mainu is also rapidly developing defensive positioning and pressure capabilities. He even has excellent shooting ability that often bursts. Mainu was selected for the England national team four months after he properly reached the first team. As soon as Southgate saw Mainu for the first time, he realized he was a special talent and also included him in the final Euro list.
Mainu hardly had a chance to play in the first two games, but he jumped to the starting lineup from the last game of the group stage. When Trent Alexander-Arnold's use of the midfielder was ineffective, Southgate put Mainu in.
Mainu was in charge of England's midfield, showing fantastic chemistry with Declan Rice. In this game, Mainu also showed outstanding performance based on forward performance and stable game play. The 19-year-old player, who started playing in Manchester United's first team since November last year, brought England to the final in his first major tournament.
If England overwhelms Spain this time and wins, it will be its first major championship since the 1966 FIFA World Cup. It is also the first time to win the Euros. It's a win that even all-time legends like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and David Beckham, who led England before Mainu, couldn't make it.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
