Kobbie Mainoo opens up on how close he came to leaving Man United under Ruben Amorim

Kobbie Mainoo opens up on how close he came to leaving Man United under Ruben Amorim

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has opened up on the events that nearly led to his premature exit during the Ruben Amorim era.

After bursting onto the scene and scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, Mainoo suddenly found himself struggling for opportunities under Amorim.

The 21-year-old admitted he even thought about leaving the club after falling out of favour during a difficult period at Old Trafford.

Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system left little room for Mainoo, who failed to start a single Premier League match under the Portuguese coach.

It wasn’t long until reports of his frustration swarmed the rumour mill, particularly after the club turned down Mainoo’s request to leave on loan.

That would have been enough to force an exit, but Mainoo claimed that his heart was always with United despite the disappointment.

Speaking about that period, the England international admitted that not playing regularly led him to think about other possibilities.

However, he insisted his main goal was always to continue representing the club he had supported and developed at since childhood.

Asked if he felt Amorim left him out because he didn’t fit the system, Mainoo told Sky Sports: “Yeah, when there’s new managers, they have their way that they want to play, and if they think you don’t fit that, then you don’t fit that.