'I'm a Liverpool icon – but Ruben Amorim could end up with Prem's best at Man Utd'

Dietmar Hamann has tipped Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo for a bright future in football. Despite his own Liverpool roots, Hamann, who is known for his tactical intelligence and calmness under pressure, has been impressed by the 19-year-old midfielder’s performances for both England and United.

Hamann, who famously played through the pain of a broken toe to help Liverpool overturn a three-goal deficit against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, spoke highly of Mainoo during an interview with Genting Casino. He said: “I think Kobbie Mainoo is a very interesting player,” adding: “The way he played for England in the summer was impressive. For a young boy to come in like that and score important goals last season shows the kind of talent he has.”

Mainoo, who has been likened to some of the Premier League’s most versatile midfielders, possesses a skill set that Hamann believes could make him a complete player. He added: “He can defend and attack, which is a good thing. In midfield, you need players with different qualities that complement each other. Mainoo has discipline, and if he wants it, he could be one of the best holding players.

“But then again, he’s got a trick in his locker and knows how to score goals. If he develops as a number eight, he’ll need to be hitting six, seven, or eight goals from open play a season. He’s capable of doing that if he puts his mind to it.”

Just as Hamann offered an equilibrium in the squads he graced, blending seamlessly with more forward-thrusting colleagues, this very dynamic is something he identifies in Mainoo’s burgeoning role alongside Declan Rice, suggesting: “If you play him next to a Declan Rice, as he does for England, he can play higher up. Over the next few years, Mainoo will be the one I’m most interested in watching,” reports the Mirror.

England’s freshly appointed manager, Thomas Tuchel, is anticipated to experiment with this powerful midfield coupling as he refines the optimal lineup for the national team. And while Hamann holds high hopes for Mainoo, he cast a less favourable eye upon Manchester United’s upper echelon. The instalment of Ruben Amorim as the Red Devils new coach in November has sparked an aura of optimism within Old Trafford’s walls.

But Hamann has hit out at Manchester United for not replacing Erik ten Hag sooner, suggesting that United’s decision to stick with the Dutchman over the cheaper option of Ruben Amorim shows poor judgement from the clubs chiefs. “It would have been easier and cheaper to go for Amorim in the summer, but they stuck with Ten Hag. That raises serious questions about the judgment of United’s leadership team,” Hamann said.

He added: “There have been decisions made at Manchester United that I really didn’t understand. They need a strong manager and strong leadership upstairs. The way they handled the summer showed that leadership is clearly lacking.”

In his scathing review of Uniteds squad, Hamann expressed concern over every position but noted the promise in young prospects. He continued: “United’s team is a mess. You’ve got Garnacho and Mainoo, who are exciting, but there are doubts about every other player whether it’s the goalkeeper, defence, midfield, or attack. Even [Rasmus] Hojlund needs to prove himself quickly, but at United, you don’t get much time.”

The saga of Manchester United’s restructuring took yet another turn as the club recently parted ways with sporting director Dan Ashworth after just five months – seemingly echoing Hamann’s stark verdict while fuelling further scrutiny over the direction and governance at Old Trafford.

Reports of turmoil at United have intensified amid controversy over the club’s hefty £90 million investment during the summer transfer period, which included the signing of ex-Ajax skipper Matthijs De Ligt. In the wake of Raphael Varane’s exit, Ten Hag had hoped De Ligt, alongside Lisandro Martinez, would be building blocks for United’s future.

However, engulfed by one of their worst Premier League starts, De Ligt has failed to deliver performances on par with those he displayed previously, leading to criticism from football pundit Hamann, who shared: “If De Ligt joined Liverpool or City in recent years, I don’t think there’d be any doubts about him. He’s a very good player, but when you go to a club in turmoil, like Manchester United, it’s never easy. You come into a non-functioning team. If he’d gone to Liverpool, where everything is functioning perfectly, he’d just fit in.”

The former footballer also reflected on the fate of the 2019 Ajax wonder squad, noting that most of them have not achieved what was expected. He went on: “[Donnie] Van de Beek has disappeared, [Hakim] Ziyech never made it, and even [Frenkie] De Jong has struggled in Barcelona. De Ligt is the best of the bunch, but the jury is still out on whether he can be a leader for a big club like United.”

Despite his scathing assessment, Hamann expressed hope that Amorim could lead Manchester United back to its dominant days, claiming that a powerful United is beneficial for the entire Premier League. He continued: “They’ve got a manager who offers optimism for the first time in a long time. Hopefully, Amorim is the leader they need because, when Manchester United are strong, it makes the league better.”