Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo is hoping to kick-on with the Reds after making his first-team debut for the club in the Carabao Cup victory over Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night.
The 17-year-old midfielder was included in the starting-line up for the quarter-final clash with the Addicks, with Erik ten Hag selecting him alongside Scott McTominay and Fred in the middle of the park. He was replaced by Brazilian ace Casemiro in the 60th minute after impressing on his first start.
United progressed to the semi-finals of the competition with a 3-0 victory over the League One side, with Antony and Marcus Rashford (2) both on the scoresheet. The Reds will now face Nottingham Forest in the next round of the cup.
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The Manchester Evening News previously reported that the club were considering loan offers for a host of academy players in this month's transfer window, with Mainoo having attracted interest from the Football League. However, it appears that the 17-year-old will be remaining at Old Trafford this season.
Mainoo is hopeful that his steady showing against Charlton will be the start of a long and successful career at Old Trafford, with the youngster keen to remain in Manchester for the foreseeable future.
Discussing his future plans with MUTV, Mainoo said: "To stay around it and to keep on getting more games is the ultimate goal. I want to stay at this club, I’ve been here my whole life."
He added: "I've been in training with the lads quite a few times. They all made me feel welcome and all gave me words of advice and encouragement. So I felt at home."
The midfielder, who scored against Cadiz during the mid-season break, bagged two goals in United's run to the 2022 FA Youth Cup final last term. He was on the scoresheet against Everton at Old Trafford and against Reading on the road in the fourth round. Mainoo was part of the side that defeated Nottingham Forest in the final as the Reds won the trophy for the first time in a decade.
There are likely to be opportunities for Mainoo, and fellow youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri, to feature in the coming weeks with the Reds preparing to play six more times before the end of this month.
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