When you watch Kobbie Mainoo play, you can really see the difference Michael Carrick has made – in terms of the previous manager not believing in him to then the new manager coming in and giving him so much confidence.
You can see that self-belief in his performances.
It is one thing people saying that Mainoo should play and him coming in and backing that up, because there was big pressure on him coming back into the team.
All of the Manchester United fans wanted him back in the team, but when you are picked you still have to perform – and he has done that.
Mainoo has signed a new contract this week and he was back in the England squad in March and, with the World Cup in the summer, it feels like he has hit form at the right time.
The next step for him now is just to be more consistent because when he first came into the team I thought he was going to be a really special player. For a while, though, I wasn’t sure what type of player he was going to be – was he more of a six, or a number eight?
If he can nail down that number six role and actually be that defensive midfielder, and then drive forward at the right time like he did for his goal today, then that is where his future is as a really top player.