FA CUP | HENRY WINTER

Wigan vs Man United: Mainoo gives Ten Hag a glimpse of brighter future

Wigan Athletic 0 Manchester United 2: Long-range strike from Diogo Dalot and a Bruno Fernandes penalty help Premier League side advance to FA Cup fourth round
The 18-year-old Mainoo set a shining example for his more experienced team-mates
The 18-year-old Mainoo set a shining example for his more experienced team-mates
ALAMY

In the home of Northern Soul, the music was always going to be as hot as the weather was cold. “This old heart of mine, been broke a thousand times,” pumped out of the DW Stadium speakers before kick-off, a gem from the Isley Brothers and a familiar feeling for ­Manchester United fans over the past decade.

Yet even though their team were not entirely convincing in this FA Cup third-round win over League One ­opponents, and the squad still needs ridding of some dead wood, there were strong performances from teenagers Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho to lift the hearts of the 7,500 United supporters here.

United were missing Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in central midfield but Mainoo’s mobility, ball-winning and distribution surely ensures