Bryan Robson interview: 'Cantona and I did a crazy job of convincing Bellingham to join Manchester United'

Bryan Robson likes what he sees in Cobby Mine. Photo: Paul Cooper

Bryan Robson has had a few memories lately. for several months while watching Kobby Maina. It's rare for a central midfielder to be able to burst forward and score goals in important moments, as he did in a Manchester United shirt. A teenager with the world at his feet.

Maine's appearance brought some comfort to Robson, who was at Carrington on the day another talented English midfielder could join the club.

In fact, there was a whole squad of United greats at the training ground. Robson, Eric Cantona and Sir Alex Ferguson were present when Jude Bellingham, then a Birmingham City player, was shown the club's facilities.

“It was very disappointing,” Robson told Telegraph Sport. . “We were in Carrington and Sir Alex Ferguson was there a little before me, but Eric and I met him and his mum and dad and we chatted.

“The fact that he was going to sign for Manchester United looked really promising… Eric and I did some bullshit when he signed for Borussia [Dortmund]. We thought we had it in our bag.»

Jude Bellingham pictured at Birmingham Airport on his way to Dortmund Photo: PA/Jacob King

Robson, perhaps a less than adept recruiter of young players, hopes to mentor them off the field. The 'advice', as Robson well knows, will be coming from all sides at the moment for players like Mainu and his family, as well as other young players whose circumstances change radically with their first lucrative contract and Premier League breakthrough. .

When Robson was in the same position as Mainu at West Bromwich Albion, he was advised to strengthen his physique to cope with men's football. His diet was supplemented with stout, steaks and raw eggs. “This guy doesn't need it, and my advice is to stay away from Guinness these days,” says Robson. “Mainu is a big guy, probably the same size as me now… minus the belly.”

Cobby Mainu ( center) has impressed since breaking into the first team. Photo: AP/Dave Thompson

Looking back to the start of his career in the 1970s, Robson received the right advice that made him England's most complete midfielder on the pitch. But off the field it was the Wild West, where players poured their earnings into investments, some successful, many less so. In fact, it was disastrous for many former players.

He himself lost money when he was involved in the infamous «Brilliant» film financing scheme, which was supposed to provide tax benefits but was not considered a legitimate investment opportunity . “I lost quite a lot of money,” he says. “Screams. The number of people who told you it was a great investment.

“Teammates went bankrupt, which I read about, where they invested money in the wrong things. People take commissions on things you lost money on. Over the years I've heard these stories and in the last four or five years you think we need to do something about this. As a former player, you understand the situations players can get into. I don't want to see this all the time.»

«Do you do due diligence?»

Robson helped create High Performance Individuals, a financial mentoring service for the sports, music and entertainment industries. Craig Bellamy recently spoke about so-called «financial abuse» of players, where investments disappear without return. Chris Smalling recently brought a High Court case against his money managers for failing to disclose fees and charges to him.

After striking a deal with Simon Andrews, a former United academy player turned financial specialist, Robson made it clear that this was not an agency. Its purpose is to provide advice at an early stage, before problems arise. They are represented in clubs at under-18 and under-21 level in an area that they feel is underutilized.

“For me, the main point I want to get across is to try to educate yourself, parents or agents investment,” says Robson. “Are you doing your due diligence so you know what you're getting into? We're trying to get them out of the situation before they make a mistake, not help them after they've already made a mistake.

“I’m just buying a car. Simple rental forms. Do you understand what you're getting into? Do you realize the consequences of purchasing a club car and that it is a benefit of sorts? People want a £2 million house but they don't have a deposit. Such basics are unknown to boys and girls.”

This makes the conversation about 18-year-old Mainu even more relevant. The United teenager was an unknown at the start of the season and is now on the cusp of a trip to the European Championships with England after performing so well in his first two matches and scoring spectacularly against Liverpool last weekend .

“I love the guy’s temperament,” Robson says. “I see him at the training ground and he is always polite to everyone. This is a great start. I heard that his father is always ready to help and stands on his own two feet. My father was a truck driver, and his job was to keep his feet on the ground and not get carried away by his own self-importance. That's a really important part of his age and the next couple of years of progress. He has talent.

“I like the goals he's scored lately. As a central midfielder, this is a huge role if you want to become a top player. Some central midfielders are very good at reading the game, breaking it down and always being in the right position to set up the play. But if you want to reach the top level, you need goals in your game.

“Look at Rodri and the number of goals he has scored. He is expected to be their defensive midfielder. Roy Keane had the ability to do both; Paul Ins. These are great players I've played with. Steven Gerrard was a versatile goal-scoring player. It's nice to see him [Mainu] scoring goals in big games as well.»

Like Mainu, Roy Keane was a defensive midfielder and scored goals. Photo: Action Images/David Davis

Robson sits in his Altrincham home. The hotel has a bar and a large screen TV showing football. On the wall hangs his first England shirt from his debut against Ireland — number 6, not number 7, as Kevin Keegan played and scored.

These young midfielders in the England team have him excited. summer: Mainu proves that he is right. Bellingham and Declan Rice. They give England a huge chance in the summer.

“If I were Gareth Southgate, I'd be rubbing my hands,” he says. “These are young guys. Declan has had a few tournaments under his belt, but with Mainu coming onto the scene so quickly and continuing to compete, it will be hard for Gareth to leave him out. He probably doesn't want to leave it. The positive thing in the last matches against Brazil and Belgium was the understanding with the other guys, the way we could keep the ball and create problems. Gareth has great balance.”