Koby Mainu admits he considered leaving Manchester United when he was sacked by Ruben Amorim, but says his priority was always to stay at Old Trafford.
Amorim’s refusal to find a place for Mainu in his much-criticized 3-4-2-1 formation sparked fears United would lose one of their most talented academy graduates, less than two years after the midfielder scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Mainu had his loan request rejected by United in the final week of last summer’s transfer window, but Amorim never gave him a start in the Premier League and he was sacked in January, replaced by manager Michael Carrick until the end of the season.
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Carrick reinstated Mainu into the central role he had enjoyed under Erik ten Hag during his breakout spell at United, and the 21-year-old has since rediscovered his best form, signing a new contract with his boyhood club before being recalled to the England squad.
Asked how close he was to leaving the club, Mainu told Sky Sports:
“But what was always at the forefront of my mind was to play for Manchester United and continue to play for the club I grew up with.”
Mainu celebrates after scoring the goal that gave Manchester United a 3-2 lead over Liverpool
Although Amorim claimed to have assessed Mainu, he said he was only suitable for the role that United’s permanent captain Bruno Fernandes occupied in his system, which was why he continued to exclude the midfielder.
Asked whether he thought Amorim was removed because he deemed him unsuitable for his system, Mainu said: “Well, when a new manager comes in, they have their own way of doing things and if they don’t think you fit in, then you don’t fit in either.”
“All I can do is try and strive and train to be able to see it from a different perspective.”
Mainou said it had been a difficult period under Amorim, but he relied on experienced United players such as Casemiro and Fernandes, as well as close friend Joshua Zirkzee.
“It’s always going to be a difficult adjustment going from playing almost every game to playing less often,” Mainu added. “It was good for me in terms of learning about myself, the game and patience.
“How to schedule your life, how to train, how to work, how to incorporate routines.”
He added: “Obviously it’s difficult not to be a sub, but I think my family and friends helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. They knew that at some point it was going to change direction, so they just had to be patient.”
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Manchester United midfielder agrees contract extension at Old Trafford, watch the best of Maynou in the Premier League
How Carrick revived Mainu’s Manchester United career
Carrick reinstated Mainu as a starter as soon as he took over, and the former United midfielder has only missed out on squad selection once since returning to Old Trafford.
United have won 10 of their 15 games since Carrick took charge, qualifying for next season’s Champions League, with just one point remaining with two games left to secure third place.
Carrick’s contract only runs until the end of the season, but United are willing to enter into negotiations with him to continue as head coach beyond that period.
“He helped me in every way. He has played in the same position as me on the pitch, so he not only gave me tips and advice on what to do, but also asked me about things like my family and taught me how to manage me as a person.”
Asked about Carrick’s man management, Mainu added: “Just talking to him as a human being, it’s not just business. When a coach can see the other side of the game, it definitely helps you as a player. Obviously he’s been able to do that because he’s been there and been in that position.”
“You can believe everything he says because he’s been at this club and he’s played for this club. He knows what happens on the football pitch, what happens outside when you play for a club like this. Everything he says is a real gem.”
England’s Mainu and Marc Guehi play against Japan’s Ayase Ueda (centre) in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium
What is Mainu’s World Cup berth?
England manager Thomas Tuchel named the expanded squad at the final social gathering before announcing the World Cup squad on May 22, marking the first time he has called up Mainu since March for the match against Uruguay and friendlies against Japan.
But despite being reintroduced to the national team, Mainu is far from content and has his sights set on continued development with the Three Lions.
“You can’t be happy, you can’t be too happy. If you get too happy, you take a break, but I’m just trying to be consistent and work with the coach and keep moving forward with him and Steve Holland. I just want more,” he said.
“After these last two games, that’s probably going to be the number one (priority), but right now that’s out of my control. What I can control is how I play these remaining two (games). So I’m just going to keep pushing and whatever happens after that will happen.”
