Paul Ince tells Kobbie Mainoo to learn from two Manchester United teammates and follow Declan Rice example

Man Utd youngster Kobbie Mainoo still has a lot of work to do if he is to fulfil such enormous potential.

Paul Ince is hugely impressed by the impact Kobbie Mainoo has made at Manchester United but he warned the young midfielder that there is a lot of work to be done yet.

The 18-year-old has already become a valuable member of the first-team squad following his breakthrough late last year, bringing calmness and composure to the United midfield.

Ince, who is one of the greatest English midfielders of all time, can relate a lot to the pressure of playing for the United first team and is slightly concerned by the amount of pressure already being placed on Mainoo.

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The former United player believes patience is required if Mainoo is to ever fulfil such enormous potential and he has urged him to follow in the footsteps of Declan Rice.

"Listen, he's a good player. I think it's early days and I think sometimes we can get a little bit ahead of ourselves when we see a young player come into the team," Ince told The Manchester Evening News thanks to luckyblock.com.

"What I've seen of him so far, I really, really like. He made a couple of mistakes against West Ham but that's good for him. It's good that he makes those mistakes because it is a learning curve. I've been through that process as a young kid. You've got to make mistakes to learn. There is a long way to go.

"I don't like to get too excited about young players. He needs to be nurtured right. You look at someone like Declan Rice. He's done it the right way. He needs to play his games and he will play his games for United. But it's always tough when you're a young player coming into an inconsistent team. When I went to United, I had Bryan Robson alongside me, Neil Webb, and people like that.

"I could learn on the job. He is going to a team that's switching and changing the midfield. It's tough, but at the end of the day, when he's played, he's been outstanding. He's got to keep his feet on the ground, keep practising, keep learning, keep listening to the right people. I'm looking forward to seeing where his path takes him."

Mainoo's rise has in part been down to the lack of options in midfield this season, with Casemiro spending much of the campaign sidelined through injury.

Ince believes they could form a good midfield partnership if Casemiro overcomes his fitness issues, while he also believes Mainoo could learn a lot from what Scott McTominay brings to the game.

He added: "(Casemiro) is the type of person you're looking at to play alongside him with his experience, Champions League medals, and playing at Real Madrid. He'll be perfect for Mainoo, but you've got to get Casemiro on the pitch first. That's the worst issue.

"Even with Scott McTominay, you can learn from him. Sometimes people have this kind of designated situation where you are a holding midfielder and you just have to sit there and don't move. Sometimes you can get into the box and make things happen and that's probably the next port of call for him. It's not just about getting it and giving it.

"Sometimes, you have to make an impact. So there will be little things he can learn from Scott McTominay, who gets into the box really, really well and gets his goals. There's loads he can learn from. He can even watch some old videos of me if he wants!"