Despite it being his first league start, Neville has already seen enough to think Mainoo could play for rivals City. However, he is glad that United have him in their ranks.
He added: “The biggest compliment I can pay him, and it hurts to say it, is that he looked like a Man City player. I thought that was someone that Pep Guardiola would look at and be thinking ‘I’d want him in my midfield, that’s what my midfield players do’.
“Thankfully Man United have got him because he looks so composed, so graceful, always looking over his shoulder, knowing where everyone is, letting it run across his body. At 18 to be doing that out there – and he’ll have tougher games, got a challenge in front of him, there’ll be injuries, ups and downs, he’s playing at a club with huge demands. But that was very, very good.”
