Manchester United have announced that Kobbie Mainoo has signed a new long-term deal at the club.
The 17-year-old has featured twice for the first team during the 2022-23 campaign, debuting against Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on January 10 before featuring as a second-half substitute in the 3-1 success over Reading in the FA Cup at the end of last month.
Mainoo has also been on the bench for five of Man United's last seven Premier League matches, with Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag said to be a huge admirer of the central midfielder.
On Thursday evening, the 20-time English champions confirmed in a statement that the highly-rated youngster had signed "a long-term contract".
"Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has signed a new long-term contract at the club. Mainoo is another product of the club's outstanding Academy system and is one of eight graduates to play for the first team this season," began the statement from the club.
© Reuters
After making his debut against Charlton in the EFL Cup, Mainoo said that he was determined to 'stay around the first team', as he bids to become a regular for the club in the years to come.
"I've been in training with the lads quite a few times," Mainoo told MUTV. "They all made me feel welcome and all gave me words of advice and encouragement. So I felt at home.
"I looked at the teamsheet and I was starting. I was a bit shocked but I had to do my job. Yeah, there were some butterflies but it was just exciting.
"I played at Old Trafford in the Youth Cup and I remember that feeling was an amazing feeling. To have that again is brilliant.
© Reuters
"It's an unbelievable feeling. I have been at this club all my life and it's all been building to tonight. And to have my family here watching me, surrounding me, it is just amazing.
"[It was] all the immediate family. If I brought anyone else, it would be too much! But they were all here supporting me, I waved to them after the game, it was brilliant.
"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."
Mainoo, who has been with the Red Devils since the age of nine, has featured on 35 occasions for Man United's Under-18s, while he has played 18 times for the team's Under-21s.
