Ex-Man United striker Louis Saha tips Red Devils youngster to become ‘NEXT Paul Scholes’ – as he also likens emerging star to Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham

Former Man United striker Louis Saha has tipped a Manchester United youngster to become the club’s next Paul Scholes.  

The legendary midfielder is renowned as being one of the Premier League’s greatest ever midfielders, with the 49-year-old winning 11 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues during his glittering Old Trafford career. 

Widely regarded as the ‘complete midfielder’, Scholes has earned the plaudits of some of the game’s greats, with Zinedine Zidane once claiming he was one of the most difficult opponents he ever came up against. 

In recent times, United have struggled to live up to the same successes they enjoyed when Scholes was a part of their team between 1994 and 2013, with Erik ten Hag‘s side having endured a difficult season on the pitch. 

Yet, according to one of the midfielder’s old team-mates, Louis Saha, the Red Devils can be buoyed by the progress of exceptional young talent, Kobbie Mainoo, with the Frenchman backing the 18-year-old to become the next Paul Scholes.

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The teenage sensation made his first senior debut for England last month but also scored for the first time at Old Trafford on Sunday, during United’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool. 

While United have endured a turbulent season, Mainoo has continued to impress and Saha hoped he can go on to emulate his England team-mate Jude Bellingham has done at Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. 

‘I hope Kobbie Mainoo can be Manchester United’s next Jude bellingham! He’s got the skills and the composure,’ Saha said to PaddyPower. 

‘He’s one of those players who has grown quicker than normal and he’s showing real maturity at 18, especially considering he’s playing in an unstable squad.

‘Manchester United’s form is all over the place and we saw it against Chelsea and against Liverpool. Having a player like Mainoo who can surprise the opposition with his calmness and out of nowhere, he’s able to produce some magic so he has no ceiling.

‘When you look at Jude Bellingham, he’s a monster physically. I’m not saying that Kobbie isn’t a beast physically, but in terms of height, speed and technical ability – where he matches him – this is where Bellingham is already ahead.

‘He’s managed to play a lot of games already, in Borussia Dortmund and now in Real Madrid but that’s not the case with Kobbie. They have different styles because physically, Jude is a monster – he’s just a freak. Everyone has to look at their own game.’

Mainoo has proved in the past that he has an excellent football game, working to get up and down the pitch to cut out attacks, but can also set up his team-mates with a killer pass when required. 

And while we may hope to see more of Bellingham and Mainoo playing together at the heart of England’s midfield, Saha noted that while the Man United ace may not be as physically big as his England compatriot, he will be able to use his skillset, as Scholes once did, to ‘run the show’. 

‘I remember one player who wasn’t graced by God with their physique; he wasn’t tall or quick and technically he was steady but nothing like Marcus Rashford or Cristiano Ronaldo, and that was Paul Scholes. He ran the show and every midfielder in the world would say that he was one of their favourite players.

‘It’s not just one or two qualities that Mainoo has, he’s got the full package, but he has to find a way to be a bit more effective in some areas of his game, and not making the same mistakes. He’ll definitely be one of Manchester United’s greatest players if he finds the consistency.’