Whilst Manchester United were out of action, England took to the stage – where they were defeated in a friendly clash against Brazil.
For a game which had an abundance of talent coursing through each side’s ranks, it was a rather lacklustre showing from both Gareth Southgate‘s England and the Brazil side.
The highlight of the match for Manchester United fans? Seeing 18-year-old wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo make his Three Lions debut. His rise to stardom over the past few months is immense.
But it was another wonderkid who stole the show on the night, who is even younger than Kobbie. Real Madrid’s Endrick got the winning goal. He paid homage to a Manchester United legend after the match.
Endrick pays tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton
Endrick’s only goal of the game meant he was the talking point post-match at Wembley Stadium. The seemingly destined-for-the-stars 17-year-old just looks like he’s going to be an absolute world-beater and follow in the footsteps of many legends in the game.
Speaking post-match, Endrick made a tribute to one of the greats who had a significant impact on the stadium he scored in. He told Diario AS:
“Playing where [Sir] Bobby Charlton played, scoring where he scored, are very important things for me.”
This has certainly got the highly-rated teenager into the good books of Manchester United fans.
For a 17-year-old to have the knowledge to speak about a player like Sir Bobby Charlton, light years before his time, is really commendable.
This tribute is made even more special by Endrick given Sir Bobby’s passing in 2023. He’s earned the respect of the Old Trafford faithful.
The sky is the limit for Endrick, and Kobbie Mainoo
As far as wonderkids go, there probably hasn’t been this much hype around a seriously young player in world football since the emergence of Martin Odegaard.
Real Madrid, and Brazil, have a real gem on their hands – but with such a young prospect, they still have to be careful, which Brazil’s manager Dorival Junior understands:
“I believe that if Endrick keeps being serious, hard worker… he will become a historical name for Brazilian football and world football,” he said post-match.
“But we need to be calm with Endrick, just starting now. But he’s different. But his skills are different”.
Manchester United and England need to take the same approach with Mainoo. Where there is undeniable talent, there is also undeniable pressure. There is such a thing as too much too quickly and we can’t afford to ruin a chance of a superstar by rushing Mainoo in all areas of the game.
Baby steps.