Sheffield Wednesday star reveals Owls connection to Manchester United prodigy Kobbie Mainoo

In recent years, Manchester United have sent young players out to train with EFL clubs in order to prepare them for life in the senior game. During Darren Moore’s reign as Wednesday boss, the Owls partnered with Manchester United as part of the scheme.

Mainoo is now thriving in the Manchester United side, having emerged among the club’s most exciting young prospects. Windass has now revealed Mainoo was among those to have spent time in S6 as part of his footballing education.

Speaking to Pitch Side, as relayed by The Star, Windass said: “He came to Sheffield Wednesday two seasons ago for like three weeks training to get experience training with men. He trained with us every day for like three weeks. He was serious. Man United sent him to us to get experience training with the first-team.

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"He was good. We didn’t know who he was at first. We were laughing because we thought he was on trial. I was like ‘he’s alright’. Normally you get trialists who are not very good.

“I was like ‘he’s a decent little player, him’. He wasn’t there three weeks later and I was like ‘where’s that trialist gone?’ They sent players to us. They didn’t come to learn, but they were getting smashed every day by League One players.

“He was training with us for about two or three weeks. He was good. I think they were thinking about doing a loan. I didn't even notice and then I saw him playing about two or three weeks ago and Barry Bannan text me to say he was the kid who was training with us.”

Mainoo is just 18 but has already looked comfortable in the company of the Premier League’s elite. He has made 11 Premier League appearances this season and has been tipped to break into the England senior team.