Erik ten Hag exclusive: Manchester United boss opens up on Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho 'incredible progress'

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, has called on the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho to "develop their own identity" as he discussed the "incredible progress" the pair have made at the club.

Mainoo, 18, scored his first goal in a senior United shirt in the FA Cup win over Newport County on January 28, as he continues to make himself a fixture at the base of Ten Hag's midfield despite only making his first Premier League appearance of the season against Everton on November 26.

The 19-year-old Garnacho, having had more of a cameo role last term, has made a similar imprint on the United first team since that November encounter with the Toffees - when he stunned Goodison Park with an outrageous overhead kick. He has since bagged three more goals and two assists in all competitions as he has regularly usurped Marcus Rashford on the left of the front three.

Mainoo and Garnacho played together as United won the FA Youth Cup in 2022, but they are now regular starters as Ten Hag's team - who travel to Wolves on Thursday, live on TNT Sports - chase a top-four Premier League finish as well as a potential FA Cup triumph.

Ten Hag, speaking to TNT Sports, said: "The future for Manchester United is very bright. We have coming up some very young, talented players.

"Kobbie Mainoo is one of them, also one for instance is Garnacho, [who is] playing almost every game.

"But also, behind there is a group of players who can contribute already now, and definitely also for the future for Manchester United.

"But of course, we are a little bit impatient, also we need it on the short-term, we need results.

"[So] Mainoo, Garnacho, but also don't forget for instance Rasmus Hojlund, also very young players. So we have some great talents, but when you're playing in the first team of Manchester United, you have to perform and you have to win football games."

The Dutch boss added: "There is a tradition in Manchester United [of] coming-up academy players, or developing young players. Now we have to develop them into higher levels.

"But at Man Utd the pressure is always there and we need the players who have the balls to play in such a team and such a club.

"I think we have the right characters, and I think also we have the right environment because we also have experience in our team who can help such young players, and in the short term it is important that they are a team, that there is togetherness and that we get the results."

Mainoo has proved adept at helping his team not only at the back, as shown by his numerous penalty-box defensive actions in just seven league appearances...

...but also, going forward. His touch map for this season points to a deep central presence that helps with build-up play, but that can also get around the pitch to press and impact the game in different areas.

Ten Hag has plentiful experience of shaping some of the game's brightest young stars, with the likes of Frenkie De Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohammed Kudus all coming under his tutelage at Ajax, and the Dutch coach seems to be passing his experience onto the 18-year-old Englishman.

For Mainoo, however - and the rest of the young cohort of emerging talent at Old Trafford - the message from Ten Hag is that they must find their own way.

"You can always learn from other players," Ten Hag said. "Definitely he [Mainoo] has some skills that remind me of some players, but for me it's always important that players find their own identity, and so that is what I try to push, that he finds his own identity with his skills.

"We challenge him every day to go to higher levels, and he's taken it very well. He's very coachable, really willing to progress and to develop, and that is I think a very good skill for a young player at 18 that in a very short period, he makes incredible progress.

"And I think similar for Garnacho, and I hope all the other players for instance [Omari] Forson, [Willy] Kambwala, also they make this progress.

"Also, we have loaned some players like Dan Gore, we are very hopeful that they will also progress into [the] levels that is needed for Manchester United."

Garnacho's impact has been noticeable over the winter months, with the Argentinian ranked 12th* in the top flight for shots and chances created per 90 minutes, at 4.9.

Ten Hag shared his view on how his young winger has gone from bench to regular starter.

He said: "First of all his skills and his attitude to want to be a better player. Also open for coaching, we have here a challenging environment that he's working in.

"He deserved the chance, he took the chance, and that's the way it should be."

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.

Wolves v Man Utd will be live on TNT Sports 1 and Ultimate with coverage from 19:30 on Thursday, February 1 ahead of kick-off at 20:15.

You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

To find out where your local establishments showing TNT Sports are, use our Pub Finder tool.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media