Kobbie Mainoo backed to deal with limelight after England call

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown believes Mainoo has the right temperament to thrive for club and country.
Wes Brown is confident Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo possesses the temperament to take his rapid ascent to the England squad in his stride.
The 18-year-old was this week called up by England boss Gareth Southgate for the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, just four months after making his first Premier League start as Erik ten Hagâs side won 3-0 away to Everton.
Midfielder Mainoo has gone on to make 20 appearances this season and 44-year-old Brown, who has personal experience of coming through the youth ranks at United before going on to play for England, does not expect the youngster to get carried away by his remarkable rise.
âYou can see from the way he plays that heâs very calm,â Brown told the PA news agency as he helped promote Unitedâs July friendly against Rangers in Edinburgh.
âI donât think heâll let all the other stuff get to him, and thatâs a good trait to have. Heâs just thinking about football, and when you first come in thatâs all you do think about.
âBut since heâs come in heâs taken it upon himself to give himself the type of responsibility on the pitch that a lot of young players wouldnât usually do.
âHeâs been calm with the ball, and even when he comes under pressure, the way he gets out of that and passes the ball forward causes teams problems.â
Brown â who made more than 300 appearances for United under Sir Alex Ferguson â is still involved at Old Trafford in an ambassadorial role and would love to see Stockport-born Mainoo make a late surge for Southgateâs Euro 2024 squad.
âHeâs someone the club have always held in high regard,â said Brown. âThe way injuries have gone this season, itâs possibly forced their hand to put him in, but heâs also had to earn it.
âOnce heâs got in, heâs been one of the best players in the team, if not the best. Gareth obviously sees the potential in him, and I think itâs good for him that heâs put in with the (England) boys to see how he reacts in training, and he might even get a game as well.
âWith the confidence he has for such a young age, and the way heâs playing, heâs definitely earned the right to be in the squad.
âIf you were looking at him right now, you would say yes (he could go to the Euros), but international football is very different.
âHopefully Gareth sees something in him that makes him think heâs worth taking a chance on. Itâs happened in the past with other young players and theyâve done really well.â
Mainooâs latest eye-catching display came in Sundayâs FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool as United continued their upturn in form since the turn of the year.
âSunday was one of the best games Iâve been at at Old Trafford and if they get another performance against Coventry in the semi-final, they could be in another final, which would be excellent,â said Brown.
âIn the league, other teams dropping points has given us a slight opportunity (of a top-four spot) but it will take a run of wins to keep putting the pressure on.
âThe confidence coming out of Sunday will help massively. Weâre not the finished article but if we can go into games with that same attitude, belief and work-rate, I thin youâll see a good few more points on the board.â