Wayne Rooney compares Kobbie Mainoo to former Manchester United ace and World Cup winner

Wayne Rooney has compared Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo to former midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Mainoo has been a shining light for the Reds this season, enjoying a sharp rise to the first-team fold. Saturday's clash with Everton at Old Trafford marked a 12th successive Premier League start for the Stockport-born midfielder.

The 18-year-old has become a staple in manager Erik ten Hag's plans, stepping up when others have failed to do so. Mainoo's sharp rise has resulted in cries for him to be included in England manager Gareth Southgate's plans for the European Championship in Germany this summer. However, he is still eligible to represent Ghana at international level.

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Rooney has been massively impressed by the youngster so far, admitting that he reminds him of Germany World Cup winner Schweinsteiger, who he played with at Old Trafford.

"I think he has been incredible for such a young age," Rooney told TNT Sports ahead of kick-off against Everton. "The maturity he shows.

"When you see young players come into any first-team normally they are a bit raw and normally playing off the cuff. He reminds me of a young Bastian Schweinsteiger in how he plays; he entices players in.

"He always seems to be make the right decision. He has got a bright future."

On Mainoo, fellow TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand added: "I enjoy watching him. We all talk about young players. I think our eyes are always open and looking for the next young players.

"He is a young player who, again, I think has that calmness. We can talk about ability; ability is there for a lot of young players. But it is about what is up here [in his