Mainoo breaks record against Liverpool

The 18-year-old was given the nod by Erik ten Hag to fill the void in midfield left by the suspended Bruno Fernandes, and didn't disappoint.

Kobbie was calm and composed in a hostile atmosphere and, save for one mistimed sliding challenge in the first half, he barely put a foot wrong.

The Academy graduate is appreciated hugely by Ten Hag, who praised the midfielder after the match.

"If you are good enough, you are old enough," said the boss in his post-match media briefing. "He proved that.

"When he gets used more often to those games, we will get even more joy from it. Because then his scanning and his speed of action, he can get such passes, three or four passes in and get switches in, and he is a player who can really hurt opponents."

Mainoo was one of six Academy graduates who played some part against Liverpool, with Alejandro Garnacho and Jonny Evans also starting the game, and impressing, while Scott McTominay captained the Reds for the first time in the league.

Marcus Rashford and Hannibal both came off the bench in the second half, with Willy Kambwala - who is yet to make his senior debut - and Dan Gore also among Ten Hag's substitutes.

With the FA Youth Cup coming up at Old Trafford on Tuesday - Garnacho, Mainoo and Gore all won the tournament for the young Reds in 2022 - there is an opportunity for more youngsters to make an impression.

SUPPORT THE YOUNG REDS

United's Under-18s take on Derby County in the FA Youth Cup at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday, at Old Trafford.

Tickets are priced at £3 for adults and £1.50 for under-16s and you can get yours here.

If you can't make it to the game, MUTV subscribers in the UK and Ireland can watch the match via our app or on ManUtd.com.