Ghanaian midfielder Abdul Rashid Fuseini has revealed that he played ahead of England international Kobbie Mainoo during their time together at Manchester United’s U15 team.

The 21-year-old, who currently plays for Slovenian side NK Tabor, explained that he impressed coaches with his performance during trials, which earned him a spot ahead of Mainoo in the starting line-up, but could not secure a permanent deal due to age restrictions.

“[The trial at Man United] was quite nice and interesting,” the NK Tabor midfielder told Joy Sports.

“That was when Kobbie Mainoo was playing for the U15s then. So when I went there, I played for the U15s and, like, they saw that my level was above the U15s, so they pushed me to the U18s and U19s.

"We [Kobbie Mainoo and I] played matches together. When I was there, he sometimes played on the wing or as a number eight.

“When I came, he was on the bench because I was doing a lot more than him, so I had to play. And, you know, you are a trial player—they have to give you more minutes."

Watch Fuseini's full interview below:

The Manchester United experience was one of several trials Fuseini had in England during his formative years. He also featured on trial at Wolves, Sheffield United, and Brentford.

However, he could not secure a contract due to age restrictions and later moved to Serbian side Backa Topola. In 2023, he joined NK Tabor in Slovenia, where he has spent the last two seasons rebuilding his professional career.