Kobbie Mainoo’s response to being taken off in the 81st minute of Manchester United’s thrilling win over Aston Villa in the Premier League has gone viral.

Erik ten Hag gave the 18-year-old midfielder from Stockport his third straight start on a cold Tuesday night at Old Trafford, and he did not fail.

He set the pace in the middle of the pitch, especially in the second half when United was trying hard to come back from being down two goals.

That was true even though he was paired with Christian Eriksen, who has had trouble on defense in the past. He looked comfortable in a single pivot.

Doug Luiz, whom Mainoo played against, is one of the best midfielders in the league this season, but Mainoo was calm and mature the whole time.

Alejandro Garnacho scored two goals in the second half to tie the game, and Mainoo helped United tie it. He was then replaced by fellow midfielder Scott McTominay.

And with ten minutes left, as he made his way to the Old Trafford bench, the talented youngster cheered for some home fans and waved his arms to get them excited.

Along with yelling “Come on!” Mainoo was praised for his act by Erik ten Hag.

Here’s what fans said about the above video on social media.

Some people said, “That’s our future captain right there,” and others said, “That kid knows what it means to play for Manchester United.”

One more wrote: “Proper proper player, he shouldn’t have to be doing this much at 18 but he’s been comfortably our best midfielder since returning from injury.”

A fourth person said, “Mainoo is a huge talent, but it’s also clear that the kid has character.” It’s great to see things like getting the crowd excited when you’re taken off.

Alejandro Garnacho, who plays on the same team, even joined in the fun. “Mainoo is our future captain” was written on a post on X, which used to be called Twitter. The Argentine “liked” it.

A lot of United fans, including Erik ten Hag, have been pleased by the teenager’s big season.

Ten Hag had a lot of good things to say about Mainoo after their 0-0 draw with Liverpool late last month. The Dutch boss said, “If you are good enough, you are old enough, and he proved that.”

“We’ll enjoy those games even more when he plays them more often.” That’s when his scanning and speed of action pay off. He can make three or four passes and switches, and he’s the guy who can hurt the other team.

Mainoo has played eight times for Liverpool this season. He will probably play for Manchester United when they go to Nottingham Forest on December 30.