Kobbie Mainoo's media talk ahead of England's fixture against Denmark | Euro 2024

first of all um you could be coming up against two of your uh Manchester United teammates on Thursday Christian Erikson and Rasmus hland can you just tell us a little bit about what they're like as teammates and what would it be like to play against them and also The Incredible Journey that Christian Erikson has been on over the past three years yeah I mean they're both great teammates to me obviously me and Ras quite young so we're quite close in the team always around him and stuff and then Christian I've learned a lot from him um watching him last season when I wasn't playing so much and learning trying to pick up things from his game as well and then obviously the great journey he's been on since the the last year has been amazing being able to be around him so close he's such a good player but yeah if I if I'm to play on Thursday I'll have to put all that to the side and um yeah compete against them and hopefully get the win I was reading that Wayne Rooney said that you should be starting in Midfield uh for England especially in the knockout games he he said you are uh a more solid option than the other players that the manager could pick to play alongside Declan rice um how much of a solid option do you think you are and how ready are you if you're called upon to start yeah I mean I'm always ready to play whether that's Off the Bench or or starting well obviously there's all the great midfielders in the squad as we know in in the Premier League and also um in the league of like Jude so I'm just trying to train hard and be ready when I'm chose upon just want to ask you about Jude as well he's obviously the man of the moment uh what does he like to train with and what does he like as as a teammate and also he's one of the favorites to win the Balon door this year do you think it's just a matter of time before he wins it yeah definitely I mean everyone knows how great of a player he is I mean um we see every every day in training here and such a nice guy as well and um to train with him it's really good he's demanding you know he has uh high standards that he sets and expects so to to play with him and be around him it's it's great obviously and things he's done at Real Madrid and it's rightly so that he's a contender for the ball Andor hi kobby uh at the beginning of the Season you played in preseason against Arsenal and then you got injured in the the second game against Real Madrid you've had such an amazing breakthrough season but were you worried it wasn't going to come for you then as you didn't play until November um yeah I mean it was a tough one to take the injury against Real Madrid and um took me a day or two for it to sink in that it had happened and then after that it was just focusing on getting back and trus in the process trust in the medical team that they' that they'd get me back and I'd be in better shape and in a better position when I come back so it's just all about patience and timing really what did the manager say to you during that time what was it waiting like knowing you're going to have the Breakthrough season probably the most important of your career yeah I mean I didn't know what the season would look like when I came back I mean um when I did come back into training I played a few games with the under 21s and um yeah I'm just glad he had the the belief with me and grateful he had the belief in me to to put me in against EV and finally we found out that the England players are drinking pickle juice uh to to battle cramp have you have you tried it yourself I'm not I've not tried pickled I've not even seen that but um I didn't even know that was a cramp fix maybe I'll have to try it but no no I'm not not doing yet James o hi Kobe um you're talking about obviously Eric tenh har there um just wanted to get your reaction to him staying at Manchester United because obviously that was a bit uncertain when you when you left to join up with the England squad um yeah obviously happy to be building building with him I mean he's already got two trophies hopefully there's there's more to come and um yeah it's nice to have that peace of mind that we know what manager we're going back to in the in the new season do you feel you probably wouldn't be sitting there now with England part of the Euro 2024 Squad if it wasn't for him yeah I'm so so grateful for him that he put so much trust in me and and believeing me to to play in the team and um yeah I can't thank him enough and and also it was reported earlier this year that the gar and Fa tried to convince you to play for garana was that true and was it close were you tempted um obviously proud of my G Heritage and there was speculations and whatnot but um yeah I mean it's always been a dream to play for for England so I'm happy to be here so that was never sort of a serious option for you I guess um considered but I wanted to play for England thank you that's Henry Winter hi cobby there was a in the brenford game when you had Ivan Tony to your left and yuran vissa to your right and you had what looked like half of brenford Midfield behind you and an had the ball and he rolled it out you just took it on the half turn have you always had that fearlessness was there anyone that you leared from or looked at who played that position um I mean growing up I always looked up to attackers cuz I was an attacker you know I was a striker for most of my um Academy days and so I love being on the ball and I I don't know maybe playing footall I was just always comfortable taking it in tight areas and like to turn and go forward with it so you had a background in footall that was a yeah right what play presumably playing locally and yeah just locally thank you okay over then next use one of these microphones as well pass the microphone and then you and will come to yourself then yeah so uh Casper P from Danish media B uh copy you earlier said now you already talked about Christian Ericson and Rasmus hland you earlier said that Rasmus hland is one of your guys have you been texting to him before this game and uh during the Euros no I've not I've not spoke to him um recently but I'll probably leave that for after the game you know focused on what's going on here and then um maybe after the game I'll speak to him could he be could he be a guy that a guy that would send you a message before a game maybe maybe I don't know I've not played against him before so we we'll see and how good friends are you playing together in Manchester United yeah really good friends I mean it's um it's good to have them relationships on the pitch and obviously build them off the pitch and around the training ground so yeah it's good to have them around thank you thank you just answer to you in in the middle of the black and then F hi mate um J Bellingham described Bryce as one of the best players in the world in his position after the game the other day I'm just wondering what it's been like to play alongside him in your early senior International career what's your relationship like with him on and off the pitch as well yeah deck he's such a such a good player so reliable I mean so good on the ball and um dominant in the Midfield so when I did get to play against him it's always it's always a joy you know to have someone so so strong on the ball next year and you can always trust him no matter where you are on the pitch also is it kind of a testament to how good he is that people would stop talking about his transfer fee pretty much immediately into last season yeah I mean you think everyone knows he's worth any every penny he's such a good player and he's he's proved that in um in the Prem and also on the international level also just how much how easier how much how easy it is to play alongside someone like that who's such an allrounder can you know drive forward with the ball can defend he's making interceptions all that kind of stuff how easy is it to play alongside something like that yeah um it frees me up a lot and allows me to to also go forward and attack because I always know I can trust him there and then when he goes I can sit for him as well so it's it's a dream is fake r hi kobby nice to see you um I'm wondering how the intensity of the game did it surprise you or were you expecting it um against Serbia the other night and and what instructions G Southgate gave you when you came on um yeah no I expected the intensity um the atmosphere as well was was great that night and from the England fans and from the syian fans as well but it was just more to to see out the game and um yeah you know the first game's one of the most important and so to just see that out is the best out we can have we saw you all out on a bike ride yesterday and A lot's been made about the the bonding that you need to do because a lot of this these players yourself included haven't been part of the senior Squad before how is the bonding going no really good it's such a such a good squad and jailed so well and um they've all been very welcoming to me and also the other new guys as well so could been any better just finally ahead of ahead of Denmark if you if you do get to start or or come on again as as a substitute what are you expecting particularly from that Danish Midfield um very technical like uh Christian Erikson so be good on the ball and yeah we can't underestimate how good they will be thanks very Pier hello I'm Pier from newspaper leip French newspaper I have two question about Phil Fon the first one is that you're coming from Stockport the same turn as him so uh is it something you talk about with him because it's quite uncommon that two great players come from the same place actually you say folden yeah um in fact I think it was yesterday we were talking about um we were naming all the local teams that we both used to play against and for and it was uh with Cole Palmer as well cuz he's from similar area so yes we were talking about all our um Grassroots sides and stuff nice yeah it's nice to have someone who's near to where I live here perfect and uh anony Gordon recently said about foden that in training is out of the the world is very impressive do you have the same impression that in training foden is technically very good yeah I mean on the ball is his first touch is crazy it's um he's so Technical and I mean I think everyone sees that in the Prem and then um on the international level as well just to Mark man Bryan and then we'll go toward back hi kobby well done at the darts even though it's quite lucky um you said to Henry there about that you played as a forward I just wondered therefore which players did you look up to that played in that position um obviously growing up United fan Rooney and then um it wasn't so much just Strikers as well because I always loved Ronaldinho used to watch him on YouTube a lot growing up and um yeah mostly United players to be honest have you had any interactions with Wayne at all um no no not in person I've never not I've not spoke him before no but then when when he say something like said about you wanted to play and you looked up to when you did that must be quite nice even made that more important yeah 100% I always appreciate coming from a legend of um of football and of the club that I play for so yeah it's always amazing to receive compliments on that thanks Mark if you pass my to Paul burn thank you hi Paul burn the daily M uh uaer have launched an investigation to alleged discrimination chanting at the match on Sunday I just wonder whether yourselves or the players were aware of any such instance or whether you've discussed it since no I've not I only heard about on the way over but as it's an ongoing investigation I'll leave it to UFA to um decide whatever's going on with it okay uh also obviously um momentum building in the in the the tournaments kickoff tomorrow at 6 o'clock here 5:00 home a lot of people finishing work early to watch the game any message for all the millions of TV viewers who'll be watching at home um all the support is appreciated I mean especially cuz we feel it most in the in the stadium it was amazing against ser I so I just hope everyone Tunes in and supports us great any further questions in this section just Kieran and then we'll move on to Baro thank you hi Kieran canning from AFP You' mentioned there a couple of times about being a striker when you were younger how did that process then turn into you becoming a midfielder was there a particular coach that saw something in you that you could play a bit deeper in the in the pitch and how did you find that sort of adjustment um it was more cuz I was getting a bit frustrated playing Striker I wasn't getting the ball a lot and you know I love to have the ball so um I think it was more natural for me to move back I played 10 for a bit I played on the wing and then um more recently started to play center mid and I love it