While the whole football world is rightly talking regarding Lamin Yamal, the great talent who will celebrate his 17th birthday only on Saturday, even in the opponent of the Spanish team in the Euro final this coming Sunday in Berlin – England, there is a particularly shining diamond – Kobi Maino.
Maino, who made his senior debut for Manchester United only last November, completed 90 minutes for the first time in the national uniform eight months later, yesterday (Wednesday) in the semi-final of the European Championship once morest the Netherlands.
Maino provided a fine game, full of confidence already at the age of 19, assisted Declan Rice in front of the orange link, came forward many times and of course received endless compliments from his friends in the dressing room. Watkins may have been the hero of the moment, but Mayno was right there behind him.
Perhaps for the first time, precisely in a game in which Maino completed a full game for England, especially in the first half, a team was seen that controls its pace, that understands what it wants to achieve and where it wants to go. Although she needed drama once more, her command of the game was not in doubt despite falling behind early.
Even before this match once morest the Dutch, the statistics website Opta showed that Maino’s overall pass completion rate (96 percent) was the highest ever recorded in the European Championship by a midfielder (minimum 100 passes), thus ahead of the likes of Rodri (Spain), c Joshua Kimmich (Germany) and Luka Modric (Croatia).
Kobi Maino. The new diamond of the England team, photo: Getty Images
Mayno played only a few minutes in England’s first two matches (Serbia, Denmark), but was brought on at half-time in the third group stage match once morest Slovenia, and Gareth Southgate hasn’t looked back since.
“It’s an indescribable feeling,” the actor told BBC Radio 5 Live. “It happened quickly, but I just took my opportunity day by day, game by game, and yes, now we’re in the final of the European Championship. It’s been a journey to get here. I feel like we’ve built ourselves up as the tournament has progressed to this point. It’s time to put ourselves in to history”.
Mainu made history just by stepping onto the pitch at Zingal Iduna Park, when he became the youngest player to represent the Three Lions in the semi-finals of a major tournament, but come on, that’s not what he’s here for. He at this Euro has come to transform himself from a young man with potential to one of a list of 26 players who will achieve world fame.
Only regarding two hours following I returned from Dortmund to Berlin for the big moment of the summer, at least in terms of football, I saw two young Englishmen who also made the trip this morning from Cologne. Their names are Tony and Jacob. Jacob who is trying to get smarter. Both are 27 years old, West Ham fans.
I asked what they thought regarding Maino’s performance and Englishmen like Englishmen just need to advance to the final so that suddenly the pessimism turns into a “who cares regarding us” attitude. “You can now bring Rhodri, Dani Olmo, whoever you want, with this boy in the lineup on Sunday, England wins the cup.” Without much trepidation I said that they haven’t played that well so far. “Besides Spain, is there a team that played well?” Jacob answered me.
Kobi Maino. In England, mountains and hills are built on it, photo: Getty Images
It was not for nothing that these two mentioned Rhodri. First of all, there is no English fan who does not see what the Spanish midfielder has been doing under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in recent years. Secondly, it’s no secret that he is Spain’s engine and if Mayno manages to stop him on Sunday evening, the Spaniards can enter a situation they have not experienced until now.
“Maino is so smart for his age. You can see he understands what needs to be done in midfield and the role that needs to be played to excel there – like Rodri does for Manchester City,” said former striker Teddy Sheringham. “He knows how to keep the ball and that is something that is very difficult to do, especially in big games like yesterday,” he added.
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This issue that Sheringham talks regarding is something that gives another angle that today’s England is better than the one that lost three years ago at Wembley. So alongside Declan Rice in the center of the link, Calvin Phillips played, a very likable guy who was 25 years old at the time and provided a solid tournament but not one that, in the eyes of many England fans, justified his place in the 11, certainly in light of the fact that he did not boast of particularly high technique. With his audacity, daring, ability to carry the ball and of course with the aggressiveness he has, there is no question regarding Reyes’ new partner in the link squad. At least until Sunday evening.
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