Gary Lineker singled out Kobbie Mainoo for his tremendous showing in Manchester United’s win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The midfield starlet retained his place for the fourth successive game under Michael Carrick, meaning he has now started every match since the interim manager took the reins.

Over the weekend, he added an assist to his tally for the season when he set up United’s opener via a clever set-piece technique.

Mainoo directly influenced United’s fourth win on the bounce (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

When preparing to take a corner, Bruno Fernandes put his arm in the air, which was Mainoo’s signal to weave around Spurs’ defence and wait at the near post.

His skipper then played him the ball and he played it first time in the path of Bryan Mbeumo, who struck his effort low and into Guglielmo Vicario’s bottom corner.

 

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The youngster only continued to impress after his contribution, too. As per Fotmob, he recorded 10 final-third passes, two dribbles, one accurate cross and three touches in Spurs’ box.

In defence, he made two tackles, one clearance, one headed clearance and four recoveries, while winning six ground duels and two aerial duels.

Now that he has resumed his eye-catching performances when playing a more prominent role, journalists, pundits and, most of all, United supporters, have chastised Ruben Amorim for how he had exiled Mainoo.

When Amorim was relieved of his duties at the beginning of January, he left without granting the midfielder a single Premier League start.

What Lineker had to say about Mainoo(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Comically, Lineker went as far as joking that Mainoo should take legal action over the former coach’s treatment of him.

“Do you know what? If I were Kobbie Mainoo, and I say this in jest, I’d be thinking about whether I should sue him [Amorim] or not!” he told The Rest Is Football panel.

“He’s taken a year out of that kid’s career. This kid is a wonderful footballer. God, he makes it look so easy.

“He wants the ball, he receives it with anyone around him, and he turns. [He] always makes the right decisions – he’s graceful.

“I mean, come on! He’s been absolutely detrimental to his career.”

Further, Lineker explained how he anticipated Mainoo’s upturn in form had come just in time for him to earn a World Cup spot under Thomas Tuchel this summer.

“If he doesn’t make the World Cup squad… I sense he probably will if he can stay fit and if he keeps playing because he’s just a seriously good footballer.”