"Difficult" - Mainoo's honest statement hints that Carrick prevented transfer to rivals | OneFootball

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has admitted it was “difficult” for him not playing as much when Ruben Amorim was manager.

Mainoo has become a key player again for Man Utd since Michael Carrick joined as interim manager, with the England international reminding everyone of his quality.

As time goes on, the more and more puzzling it seems that Amorim seemed so determined not to include Mainoo, whose uncertain situation led to interest from Chelsea and other clubs.

Mainoo recently signed a new contract at Old Trafford, and he’s now spoken honestly about his time under Amorim to suggest that Carrick’s arrival may well have prevented him from seriously considering his future.

Kobbie Mainoo on difficult Manchester United spell under Ruben Amorim

Speaking to Sky Sports, Mainoo discussed what it was like for him suddenly having to drop to the bench as Amorim’s tactical system seemingly couldn’t make any room for him.

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“When you’re not playing many games, or any games, you consider all things,” the 21-year-old said.

“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.”

He added: “Yeah, 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.”

The future looks bright for Manchester United

Mainoo is clearly one of the top young midfielders in Europe right now, so the future looks bright for United if they build around him.

As well as that, Mainoo now has a manager in Carrick who looks like he knows how to get the best out of him.

The 44-year-old now looks set to take the MUFC job permanently after his initial spell in charge as interim, so that looks like a good long-term partnership for the future.