Mainoo: I always wanted to stay at the club I've grown up at

Kobbie Mainoo considered leaving Manchester United in January because he had not started a Premier League game under Ruben Amorim and faced an approaching World Cup. He had previously been involved with England but was no longer in the squad. After Amorim was sacked, Michael Carrick played Mainoo consistently, leading to a Premier League Young Player of the Year shortlist and a recall to the England squad. Mainoo reflected on the difficulty of adjusting from regular starts to limited involvement, including not even coming on as a substitute. He focused on training, routines, patience, and support from family and friends while waiting for his situation to improve.

"When you're not playing many games, or any games, you consider all things. But at the forefront of my mind was always to play for Manchester United and continue to play for this club that I've grown up at."

"When there's new managers, they have their way that they want to play and if they think you don't fit that, then you don't fit that. All I can do is try and work and train to maybe see it in a different light."

"Going from playing nearly every game to not playing as often is always going to be a difficult adjustment. It was good for me in terms of learning [about] myself, the game, and patience. How to schedule my life and how I train and how I work and getting into routines."

"It's difficult when you don't even come on as a sub of course. But I'd say my family and my friends helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. They knew it would swing back my way at some point, so I just had to be patient."

Read at Republik Of Mancunia: A Manchester United Blog