'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='prefix__paint0_linear_4737_37157'%20x1='3.018'%20y1='23.6'%20x2='44.925'%20y2='24.977'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%231CB7FF'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='.502'%20stop-color='%232FF58B'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Kobbie Mainoo's famous brother stitched him up at Man Utd before viral T-shirt stunt
Dec 18 2025 10:16 · By ben Pawlowski · 39 Reads
View 2 Images
Kobbie Mainoo’s celebrity brother took a swipe at Ruben Amorim by wearing a provocative T-shirt at Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth – and it’s not the first time the midfielder’s famous sibling has caused a stir at Old Trafford.
Mainoo has fallen out of favour with boss Amorim as rumours swirl of a potential January exit. The England international has been left out of the starting line-up for all of United’s 16 league matches so far this season, with his only start coming in the Red Devils’ embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat at Grimsby.
The future had looked bright for the 20-year-old after a breakthrough 2023/24 season under Erik ten Hag, where he scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City and became a key cog in the England side that reached the Euros final.
But things have turned sour for the Stockport-born academy graduate since Amorim arrived at Old Trafford, with United legend Paul Scholes among those urging Mainoo to leave his boyhood club in search of game time. According to reports, Mainoo was keen to join Napoli in the summer but had a transfer request turned down.
The youngster received a rapturous reception from the Old Trafford crowd on Monday when he replaced Casemiro just past the hour mark during United’s absorbing 4-4 thriller with Bournemouth, but attention post-match quickly turned to an inflammatory statement made by his brother pitchside.
Jordan Mainoo-Hames, 30, was pictured front row wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with "Free Kobbie Mainoo" in a move that risks aggravating a delicate situation already fraught with tension. The stunt has split United’s fanbase, with some supporters accusing Mainoo’s relative of unnecessary provocation, but others viewing the statement as a justified protest.
Mainoo’s older sibling may well be familiar to many – the fashion model and influencer appeared on the 2019 series of hit reality TV show Love Island and has since amassed over 680,000 followers on Instagram .
View 2 Images
He will also be a name known to those inside Old Trafford. Speaking at an England training camp, Mainoo revealed that his brother’s stint in the Love Island villa had earned him an unflattering nickname.