Manchester United Icon Throws Down the Gauntlet to Rising Star Kobbie Mainoo
Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo to take inspiration from Casemiro's approach as he works to secure his position at Old Trafford.
The 33-year-old Casemiro has experienced an inconsistent spell with United, and not long ago faced intense criticism from supporters who called for his departure, with many fans believing he was no longer the dominant midfielder who had claimed five Champions League victories with Real Madrid.
However, Casemiro now finds himself as a key player in Ruben Amorim's rejuvenated squad, potentially at Mainoo's cost. The 20-year-old homegrown talent has found playing time limited under the Portuguese manager and has yet to make a Premier League start this campaign.
His summer loan request was turned down, leaving Mainoo to settle for brief substitute appearances while his aspirations of representing England at the 2026 World Cup seem increasingly distant.
Ferdinand encouraged Mainoo to persist with his United journey rather than give up, suggesting he study Casemiro's approach, who has demonstrated how to recover from being marginalized in the squad.
"Observe and absorb," he commented on YouTube. "Here was a player being told he wasn't suitable for Manchester United, precisely what Mainoo has experienced. I believe in terms of character and mentality, there's much to gain from Casemiro's example.
"Certainly there are footballing lessons too, though they are completely different types of players."
Ferdinand: Rashford Not the Model to Emulate
Ferdinand also addressed Mainoo's position as an academy product—which might complicate any January exit—while criticizing another youth graduate, Marcus Rashford, for not demonstrating the determination required to impress Amorim.
"[Casemiro's determination] is what I believe many supporters would have expected from Rashford, from [Jadon] Sancho, from Antony—those players have moved on now," he added.
"Particularly Rashford since he came through the academy. Simply remain and compete, stay here and battle for your place, embody what it means to be a Man Utd player, persist, show resilience and hang on with everything you've got. But sometimes that's just not how things unfold."
Ferdinand did admit, though, that Casemiro's revival has directly affected Mainoo's opportunities in United's midfield setup.
"You have Casemiro, who's performing well, and Bruno [Fernandes], our most dynamic player—it's going to be challenging for Kobbie to break into the team at this moment," he recognized.