"Kobbie Mainoo may not have realised the significance in the moment, but early in the second half of Manchester United's win over Fulham on Sunday, he reached an important personal landmark. Three minutes after the restart, with United 1-0 ahead and seemingly cruising toward a third straight league victory, the young midfielder surpassed 228 Premier League minutes under Michael Carrick - matching the total he had amassed across 12 league appearances earlier in the season under Ruben Amorim and caretaker Darren Fletcher."
"Carrick immediately threw him into the deep end, starting him in his first league match in eight months for the interim manager's debut - a 2-0 victory in the Manchester derby. From that moment until the arrival of Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime, Mainoo played every minute of Carrick's tenure. Those performances have not only revived his club prospects but also propelled him into the conversation for an unlikely late push into Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad."
"For United supporters, who have endured years of instability and fleeting glimpses of academy talent fading away elsewhere, the rise of Mainoo feels especially meaningful. He may be on the verge of becoming what has long eluded the club: a home‑grown midfielder who not only succeeds but does so primarily in a red shirt. A look at the club's prestigious Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year list illustrates the rarity."
Kobbie Mainoo surpassed 228 Premier League minutes under Michael Carrick, matching the total he accumulated across 12 earlier league appearances under Ruben Amorim and caretaker Darren Fletcher. Carrick started Mainoo in his first league match in eight months and then used him consistently, with Mainoo playing every minute of Carrick's tenure until the Tottenham match. Those performances revived his club prospects and put him into contention for a late push into Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad. The rise of Mainoo offers rare hope for a successful home-grown Manchester United midfielder amid years of instability and uncertain academy trajectories.
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