Bellingham under the spell of a young Englishman

Speaking to Channel 4 after the match, Bellingham said of the 18-year-old: “He was good tonight, it's hard, I'm talking like an old man, but I know how hard it is when there's yelling and people putting pressure on you, so I don't want to add fuel to the fire.”

“But he is undoubtedly a brilliant player and he has a bright future at Man Utd and in England.”. Mainoo was awarded the England Man of the Match award. The teenager created two chances, caused two errors, won two tackles and completed 42 passes.

A star in the making

The 18-year-old came on late in the match against Brazil on Saturday evening but started against Belgium on Tuesday evening. He lined up for a very capable trio in a midfield featuring Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

Gary Lineker admits he has been impressed by what he has seen from Mainu during matches.

The Match of the Day host was full of praise on social media: “An excellent debut from Kobi Mainu for England. Not only did he make the squad for the European Championships, he became the undisputed starter. Well done, young man.”