Manchester United fans were taken aback when Kobbie Mainoo posted a picture of himself wearing a Tottenham Hotspur jersey.
The Manchester-born midfielder, a key player for Man Utd, shared a nostalgic photo on his birthday where he was seen sporting a vintage Spurs shirt.
Mainoo, celebrating his 20th birthday, shared a childhood memory with his 3.3 million followers on Instagram.
The England player posted a throwback image of himself playing football as a child, accompanied by the caption, “20! Blessed”.
Interestingly, Mainoo was wearing a retro Tottenham third kit from the 1996-97 season – a surprising choice for someone born in Manchester in 2005.
The shirt, famously worn by players like Sol Campbell and Teddy Sheringham, led to bewilderment and questions from United fans online.
Fans commented online expressing their confusion:
- “Why was he wearing a Spurs kit?”
- “Is Mainoo secretly a Spurs fan?”
- “Kobbie Mainoo posting pictures in a Spurs kit isn`t a good look. Has the club upset him?”
- “Why is Kobbie Mainoo wearing a 96/97 Spurs shirt? I thought he was a true Red.”
Mainoo has been part of Manchester United`s academy throughout his career, reaching the first team in 2023.
Previous pictures showing him wearing Manchester United shirts in his youth suggested his long-standing loyalty to the club.
It`s worth noting that another child in Mainoo`s birthday photo is also wearing the same Tottenham kit, suggesting it might have been the standard kit for his youth football team at the time.
Recently, Mainoo played a crucial role in Manchester United`s Europa League quarter-final match against Lyon.
The academy graduate scored a 120th-minute equalizer in the game against Lyon, contributing to United`s comeback from a two-goal deficit to win 5-4 on aggregate in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Mainoo`s skillful goal was one of three extra-time goals for United, completing an impressive turnaround after trailing Lyon 4-2 with only 11 minutes remaining.
A Bruno Fernandes penalty started the comeback, followed by Mainoo`s leveler, and a final header from Harry Maguire secured the victory.
Manchester United is now set to play against Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals, while Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt, raising the possibility of an all-English final in May.
