Kobbie Mainoo, a young star player for Manchester United, played well in the middle of England’s midfield on his first start for his country tonight at Wembley.

 

Coming off the bench against Brazil on Saturday gave Mainoo his first cap. But tonight, when England played Belgium in a friendly, he did even better.

 

Gareth Southgate chose the 18-year-old to play with Declan Rice, who led England for the first time on his 50th game, and Jude Bellingham. The 18-year-old wasn’t at all affected by how big the moment was. He seemed to thrive in it.

 

England got off to a bad start when Jordan Pickford made a mistake that let Youri Tielemans score. The Aston Villa midfielder quickly took advantage of the situation. 0-1. The Three Lions didn’t worry, though, and six minutes later, Ivan Toney tied the game with a penalty kick that the Brentford striker himself had won.

 

Mainoo planned the move. He did a beautiful dance through the Belgian middle after slowing down on the ball to trick Tielemans and then quickly speeding away from the Villa player. It was the kind of skill that midfielders from Barcelona, not Stockport, are known for.

 

Due to his burst, the 18-year-old was able to find Jude Bellingham in space. Bellingham then played Toney in. Toney was being scored on when Jan Vertonghen, a former Tottenham Hotspur center-back, ran in to try to stop him but only fouled him.

 

The judge gave a penalty, and Toney scored from the spot after a quick check by VAR. 1-1.

 

For the rest of the first half, Mainoo continued to make an amazing debut by making smart passes and using his skills well. In the middle of United’s defense, he wasn’t as active as he has been in recent weeks. This is normal for a young player playing for his country for the first time, especially when he’s paired with Bellingham and Declan Rice, who are experienced professionals.

 

Once an England player and now a commentator, Jill Scott said at halftime that she was “impressed” with Mainoo’s “intelligence” and “link-up play.” In the same way, Joe Cole, a former star for Chelsea, praised the “balance” that Rice, Mainoo, and Bellingham provided, with the United star playing a big role in this. Cole ended by saying, “He was great.”

 

Aside from setting up Toney’s penalty, three things made Mainoo’s first-half effort stand out.

 

The first one stood out because Mainoo lost the ball after a bad pass but quickly went back to get it, tackling two Belgian players in the process. When they came up with the second chance, they pressed just in time to get the ball before Amadou Onana, an Everton player who has been linked with a move to United. However, Bellingham blazed the ball over the goal. The third was a cheeky nutmeg to Onana, who will probably be glad not to have to play against the kid again this season. However, if rumors are true, the two may be lining up next season together at Old Trafford.

 

Near the end of the half, Belgium took back the lead after another mistake, this time by Lewis Dunk. Romelu Lukaku, a former striker for Manchester United, took advantage of the mistake by sending in a beautiful cross with the outside of his foot. Tielemans scored his second goal with a well-placed shot. 1-2.

 

A lot of the same things happened in the second half: smart pressing, smart use of the ball, and smart placement. Mainoo wasn’t as active as he was in the first half because England played worse overall, but he still had a good game, which doesn’t match his age but has become normal for him this season.

 

At one point, it looked like Mainoo might even score his first goal, but Mats Sels, the goalie for Belgium and Nottingham Forest, made a great save to keep the dream alive.

 

The young United star was replaced by James Maddison in the 73rd minute. The crowd at Wembley cheered loudly, which was the biggest sound of the second half so far. For Channel 4’s Rob Green, the 18-year-old had “walked into the midfield and taken over at times” to describe his play.

 

Southgate didn’t have to blush when Bellingham scored in the last minute to tie the game for England. However, this performance won’t do much to calm people’s worries about the manager’s ability to get the best out of this group.

 

A lot of people have talked about who would be the best partner for Rice and Bellingham at Euro 2023 this summer. This season, Kalvin Phillips has lost his spot for both his club team and his country’s team. Jordan Henderson and Connor Gallagher have not done well in his place. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been tried out in the role but hasn’t done very well. There wasn’t a clear answer to the question.

 

That’s exactly what Mainoo did tonight. If Southgate has the “cojones” to realize it, that’s a whole different story.