- Thierry Henry, Kate Abdo and Micah Richards selected their wonder boy
- Richards opted to pick a rising star from one of Man City’s main rivals.
- Is it ever okay to quit a game early? Listen to the Podcast Everything is beginning
Thierry Henry, Kate Abdo and Micah Richards have chosen their best Premier League under-20 player, and the former Manchester City star has made a surprise selection.
Fresh off a thrilling Super Bowl that saw the Kansas City Chiefs claim an overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers, the trio were asked to name the rising star they would pick from England’s top flight if football adopted an NFL-style draft.
The question gave plenty of food for thought as Richards was initially interested in picking up Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham before being reminded that he had to be a Premier League player. Finally, he made the decision for him.
‘I’m going with Mainoo, Man United. Form a team like that,” confirmed the CBS Sports expert.
Kobbie Mainoo has made a stunning start to his United career after joining the team shortly before Christmas. He scored a stunning 97th-minute solo goal to secure a dramatic 4-3 Red Devils victory against Wolves earlier this month, and has been compared to iconic central midfield duo Paul Scholes and Clarence Seedorf.
Micah Richards was hard-pressed to choose which Premier League wunderkind he would pick first in an NFL-style draft.
He chose Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo, who burst onto the scene at Old Trafford this year.
But it was still a shock for Richards, who made almost 250 appearances for City, to pick a player from their biggest rivals.
Abdo, a United fan, also put club loyalty aside and selected a City star with a household name.
‘Oh yeah, that’s a good shout, Micah from Man City! “Micah Hamilton,” he said.
Indeed, Hamilton turned 20 in November and has only made two senior appearances this season, but he has already made a positive impression.
He had a goal and an assist on his Champions League debut in December as Pep Guardiola’s men beat Red Star Belgrade 3-2 in Serbia.
Thierry Henry gave his own opinion when answering which wonderful child he would like
Henry was pressed for his answer as he gave his own unique opinion.
“I would trust my youth team,” he insisted. ‘Sorry, that’s an option too. Why are you mad? What do you have an academy for? which left Richards laughing.
Henry is the only one on the panel with managerial experience, having previously taken charge of Monaco and Montreal Impact, while also serving as Roberto Martínez’s assistant for Belgium.
He is now the France under-21 coach and won his first four games as coach, but lost two in three days against Austria and South Korea in November.
