Keane likens Mainoo to former Man United team-mate amid his breakthrough year
Roy Keane has compared Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo to one of his former team-mates at Old Trafford.
Mainoo has enjoyed an excellent breakthrough season at the club, establishing himself as a regular fixture in Erik ten Hag's side.
The 18-year-old's performances led to Gareth Southgate performing a U-turn and including him in the England squad for their upcoming friendlies with Brazil and Belgium - after he had previously been named in the U21 squad.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Keane compared him to one of his former team-mates and it wasn't Paul Scholes.
He said: 'I'd say that Kobbie Mainoo compares more to Nicky Butt than Paul Scholes, but that's because Scholes played further forward when he first joined Manchester United.
'What makes these young players successful is their personalities and their temperament, so I would put Mainoo on par with Butt and Scholes in their first three months at the club.
'It's all about how players settle into the first team and how they cope with the challenges, playing at Old Trafford, but from what I've seen, Mainoo looks great, but he's got lots to learn in that position.'
Butt was a member of United's Class of 92 alongside Gary and Phill Neville, Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.
Butt made 387 appearances for the Red Devils before leaving for Newcastle in the summer of 2004.
Mainoo's performances has led to comparisons of him with Scholes, a sentiment echoed by former United striker Dimitar Berbatov last month.
He was initially left out of the England squad last week with Gareth Southgate suggesting he had not played enough first-team games to warrant a place.
Southgate's U-turn came after Mainoo's excellent performance in United's
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