Kobbie Mainoo Credits Michael Carrick for England World Cup 2026 Call-Up After Manchester United Revival

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has credited manager Michael Carrick as the decisive factor behind his inclusion in England’s 26-man World Cup squad, stating plainly that without Carrick’s faith in him, the call-up would not have materialised.

Speaking from England’s training camp in Florida, Mainoo told talkSPORT that his gratitude towards the United manager was personal and direct. “Definitely, and I told him that I was very grateful,” the midfielder said. “Because if he hadn’t put me on the pitch, then I wouldn’t have been here so, I’m always grateful to him for that.”

The 21-year-old’s path to the World Cup squad had looked uncertain just months earlier. Under former United manager Ruben Amorim, Mainoo failed to make a single Premier League start and was, according to reports, considering his future at Old Trafford. His prospects under England head coach Thomas Tuchel appeared similarly bleak during that period.

Carrick’s arrival at Manchester United in January marked a turning point. The former England midfielder was initially appointed on an interim basis following Amorim’s departure, before Manchester United confirmed him as permanent manager on a contract running through to 2028. Under his stewardship, United secured a third-place Premier League finish and qualified for the UEFA Champions League — a significant turnaround for a club that had endured a turbulent campaign.

For Mainoo specifically, the transformation was stark. From a player without a single league start, he went on to feature in 16 of the final 17 Premier League matches of the season under Carrick, re-establishing himself as a central figure in United’s midfield.

Mainoo was also candid about the collective mood within the United squad when Carrick’s permanent appointment was confirmed. “We were very happy with it, obviously, we were behind the manager from the start,” he said. “So many great performances under him, and I love the way he coaches and manages me personally in the team as well. I think everyone in the squad can agree with that, so when he officially got the job, we were all so happy.”

Carrick, who made over 460 appearances for Manchester United as a player and won five Premier League titles among numerous honours at the club, brings considerable authority to the role. His previous managerial experience includes a spell at Middlesbrough, where he earned recognition for developing young talent — a quality that appears to have translated directly into his handling of Mainoo at club level.

Mainoo himself burst onto the senior scene during the 2023-24 season, becoming one of the standout performers in United’s run to the FA Cup final and earning his first senior England cap. His development since then has been closely watched, making his dip in form and minutes under Amorim all the more notable.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, England will be among the contenders under Tuchel, who took charge of the national side earlier in the year. Mainoo’s inclusion in the final 26-man squad suggests the former Barcelona and Chelsea manager views the midfielder as a viable option in the tournament, which begins in June 2026.

For Mainoo, the journey from fringe player to World Cup squad member within the span of a single season represents one of the more significant individual reversals of fortune in recent Premier League history — one he attributes directly to the manager who handed him back his career.