Gareth Southgate, the England manager, recently attended a match at Villa Park to watch the midfielder Mainoo in action. During the game, Mainoo played for 92 minutes before being replaced by Sofyan Amrabat in the dying seconds. According to the Daily Star, Southgate is likely to recommend that Mainoo, who has previously represented England Under-19s, be called up by Under-21s boss Lee Carsley for the upcoming Euro 2025 tournament qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg. Despite being eligible to represent Ghana, Southgate may introduce Mainoo into the senior England squad, as the team is not involved in competitive action in March and will instead play friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Mainoo’s development was impacted by an injury he suffered during his club’s pre-season tour of America, which delayed his first league start until November 26. Since then, he has secured a regular place in the starting XI and impressed with his performance. He also scored his first goal for the team in a FA Cup win at Newport County. Former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand has praised his performance, comparing him to former Holland playmaker Clarence Seedorf.
Southgate’s focus on picking players in form may present an opportunity for Mainoo to join the England squad for Euro 2024 in Germany. Following the international break next month, England has matches against Bosnia and Iceland in June before the tournament opener against Serbia on June 16. This could be a valuable learning opportunity for Mainoo and an accelerator for his development.