Man United player-coach Tom Huddlestone says Kobbie Mainoo and Omari Forson remind him of Yaya Toure and Bukayo Saka | OneFootball

Manchester United player-coach Tom Huddlestone has revealed that academy graduate duo of Kobbie Mainoo and Omari Forson reminded him of Yaya Toure and Bukayo Saka respectively.

Mainoo has been one of the success stories of United this season, during a campaign in which the Red Devils have been very inconsistent and poor on the pitch.

The 18-year-old has often outshone his more senior and experienced teammates. Mainoo has impressed with his cool, calm and composed displays, which have even seen calls for him to be included in the England squad ahead of the Euros.

Earlier this term, Forson became the 249th academy graduate to make his senior debut for the club.

Last weekend, during United’s 2-1 loss against Fulham, Forson made his first senior start for United in an attacking trio also consisting of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Forson was given the nod by Erik ten Hag ahead of the likes of Amad Diallo and Antony.

Tom Huddlestone spoke to SPORTbible and explained that Mainoo and Forson’s talent and potential always meant that they were destined to achieve great things at Old Trafford.

Huddlestone said, “On my first day at Carrington, I came up and had a look at the lads in training. I was speaking to a friend on the way back home and said, ‘There are two lads who stood out during that session and one of them is a player called Kobbie Mainoo. He looks like a younger version of Yaya Toure.’”

“The other player was Omari [Forson]. He reminds me of the way Bukayo Saka plays. He’s good with both feet and can finish very well, especially with his left foot.”

“Two or three months into last season and Kobbie had already smashed all of his targets and then by the end of it, he was training regularly with the first-team. To do what he’s doing as an 18-year-old, at a club of this size, is some going. It looks like he’s been doing it for years. He’s as composed as anyone I’ve ever seen and that comes from self-confidence in your touch, your manipulation of the ball and your passing ability.”

Huddlestone praised United for their tradition of promoting youngsters and nurturing them to become world-class players and global superstars.

“It’s in the DNA of the club. It has always given opportunities for a way through the academy and into the first-team. We are mentoring them on their way through, because we saw their potential was higher than the current squad players in that moment and in that position. There were players who had the potential and we have given them the time to develop and to progress.”

“It shows that if you’re consistent enough in training and have the ability, then you’ve got a chance. We’ve already seen the manager isn’t shy when it comes to keeping academy players in and around that first-team environment.”

The 37-year-old gave some insight into his roles and responsibilities at Carrington as player-coach.

He explained that his main job revolves around helping the youngsters and getting them as much playing time as possible.

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder divulged that he regularly trains with the under-21s team as he needs to keep fit so that he can perform on the pitch when the need arises. As per Huddlestone, he acts like a coach during games to remind United’s developing stars to implement what was practised days before.

He emphasized that he also works in close partnership with Ten Hag and his coaching staff to ensure the Dutchman’s football philosophy and principles are passed down to the youth teams.