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It's exciting to see Kobbie Mainoo earning his first England call-up
Southgate's cautious approach highlights the importance of allowing young players to develop at their own pace.
Mainoo's recent performances, including his crucial goal against Wolves, have certainly caught the attention of the national team selectors.
Kobbie Mainoo has been handed his first England call-up ahead of March's friendlies.
The Manchester United breakthrough star was initially drafted into Lee Carsley's under-21 side for the upcoming internationals.
But Gareth Southgate drafted Mainoo into the Three Lions' senior ranks for their friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
The England manager praised Mainoo last week when addressing his intial decision to leave him out of the squad.
"I think Kobbie is doing brilliantly for a young player," said Southgate. "We're never slow to put a young player into the seniors, but he's only had a handful of games. You have to be careful in making those decisions at the right time, and ideally we should allow him the space to develop at his own speed.
"He's not at the point in terms of number of games that Jude [Bellingham] or Bukayo [Saka] were when they first came in, but I repeat - he's doing really well, he's a good footballer, you can see that, and he's getting some fabulous experience with Man Utd and looks a good character."
Mainoo has made 21 appearances for United this season and scored in back-to-back outings, the most notable being a late winner against Wolves.