Kobbie Mainoo stays cool as clamour for England midfield spot grows
Teenage rising star insists he is taking progress in his stride after a whirlwind 12 months for club and country
Kobbie Mainoo strolls into the England media conference suite at Blankenhain Castle and it is made known that he has never previously picked up a set of darts. It is not exactly a seething Goodison Park or the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul, where in late November the Manchester United midfielder made his first appearances of an extraordinary breakthrough season.
But the media are 3-0 up in the three-dart challenge against Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad and Mainoo’s opponent from the Press Association has looked the part in his warm-ups. Sixty seconds later, Mainoo has won 51-31 and taken his seat for questions, barely blinking.
