Kobbie Mainoo shuts up Roy Keane and Gary Neville with stunning Man Utd winner

Kobbie Mainoo celebrated his new Manchester United deal in style against Liverpool as well as proving Roy Keane and Gary Neville wrong. Earlier this week, Mainoo committed his future to United by signing a new contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2031. United got off to the perfect start against Arne Slot ’s side on Sunday when Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko struck inside the opening 14 minutes. However, a poor start to the second-half saw the reigning Premier League champions fight back. Dominik Szoboszlai scored after pouncing on Amad Diallo’s misplaced pass before Cody Gakpo levelled the scores following a Senne Lammens blunder. But with 13 minutes of normal time remaining, Mainoo struck from the edge of the box after Liverpool failed to clear a ball into the box. And not only did Mainoo’s goal secure United a place in next season’s Champions League , but it also came after Roy Keane said pre-game that he had his concerns about the England international. "Mainoo has given them some energy, he's helped Casemiro,” he said. “But I have my worries about them – the centre-backs and the centre-midfielders you can get at them." FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page It wasn’t just former United captain Keane who spoke of his concerns, as Neville said during the first-half: "The one message that Michael Carrick will want to get to his players at half-time is that there's a bit of a gap between the midfield and his defence. "Liverpool are getting players into that area. They are going to have to tighten up a little bit. Liverpool could score from around 20 yards." Then after Mainoo’s goal, Neville said: "It's been a tough second half for Man Utd and Mainoo, but he could have just cancelled out all of that worry.” Neville advocated for a change in personnel again a couple of minutes later, saying: "I’m sure they’re thinking about how to get more strength in the middle of midfield, where Liverpool are dominating. It would be dangerous to leave Mainoo and Casemiro in the midfield alone right now.” But speaking after the game, Keane appeared to soften his stance, saying: "It's a great moment for him. He's had his challenges over the last few months. That's the journey of any young player. He's taken his opportunity. To score the winning goal for any locak kid, it's fantastic." Mainoo’s United future looked up in the air, having fallen down the pecking order under former boss Ruben Amorim, with an August request to leave on loan rejected before speculation ramped up in January. But Carrick’s appointment changed the course for the England international, who has now become a mainstay for United. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice