Man Utd will play the long game with Kobbie Mainoo - it would have been a complete disaster to lose him

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has insisted that there is "more to come" from Kobbie Mainoo, with the midfielder only in the very early stages of his career.

Mainoo asked to leave Man United on loan last summer after it became clear that he would not be a starter under Ruben Amorim, while the 20-year-old was also looking to leave at the start of January for the same reason.

However, Amorim's departure as head coach has completely changed the picture, with Mainoo thriving since Carrick's arrival at the helm.

Mainoo was again in the starting side when Man United welcomed Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon, and the England international starred in his side's 2-0 win.

The Red Devils academy product could allegedly sign a new deal with the Red Devils before the end of the season, which would end the speculation surrounding his future, as his current contract is one of the lowest in the first-team squad at Old Trafford.

Mainoo has excelled since Carrick's arrival as head coach

Carrick lavished praise on the Englishman following the clash with Tottenham.

"There’s no doubt of Kobbie’s ability and what he can bring, he’s still so young and let’s be careful of not putting so much right on his shoulders and expecting so much of him. He’s still learning the game," Carrick told reporters.

"Because he’s had the big high and then obviously didn’t play for a bit, it’s easy to think he’s a lot older and more experienced probably than he is.

"But credit to him, he’s come right in and find his rhythm with football, which is not easy after a period of time out and he’s found that physically and mentally.

"We know he can handle the ball and hopefully over time, I’m sure he’ll keep improving. We’ve got to be patient and not expect too much from him all the time.

Mainoo could sign a new deal at Man United before the end of the campaign

"There’s definitely more to come from him, that’s just the age he’s at, the stage he’s at in his career you’d like to think, he’s just starting out really essentially.

"He has got so much experience under his belt in big games and pressured situations, which is going to help him develop learning the game, playing next to Case and learning off him, things that he’s probably not even realising he’s picking things up just by being next to him, as well as the other players around him, I think that’s just part of his journey to learn and develop.

"I’m really conscious that he’s come in, he’s played the four games and he’s found his rhythm. Young players, they have times when they’re up and then they might have a little dip. That’s not all of a sudden he’s good or he’s a poor player, Kobbie is what he is.

"Managing that’s really important, especially for younger players and understanding that. He’s doing fantastic at the moment, he’s having a really big impact on games, and we’ll keep working with him and helping him, trying to keep improving him as well as we go."

Mainoo has scored seven goals and registered five assists in 90 appearances for Man United in all competitions.