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10 Things Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo Can’t Live Without

Manchester United footballer Kobbie Mainoo joins British GQ to reveal his 10 Essentials. The GQ Men of the Year 2024 cover star breaks down his daily essentials: from his dog ‘Kodak’ (“we named him after the rapper, Kodak Black”) to his Apple iPad used almost exclusively for watching films (“Fight Club—my favourite film”). Watch the full episode of British GQ’s 10 Essentials, as Kobbie Mainoo reveals 10 things he can’t live without.

Released on 11/13/2024

Transcript

Go on. [dog claws scratching]

Hi, I'm Kobbie Mainoo and these are 10 essentials with GQ.

[upbeat music]

Bucket hats.

Really hats in general, but I've been wearing

bucket hats a lot,

but I don't think it's just a summer hat.

You know, I wear bucket hats all year round.

Wear 'em low, style 'em different ways and that,

and when we won the FA cup, I wore a bucket hat,

grabbed one out of the crowd

and that's where people really started

to see me wearing 'em.

But I've been wearing 'em for a long time.

So yeah, I'd say it's an essential for me.

[Interviewer] When can we expect a Kobbie Mainoo

bucket hat line?

I'm not sure, you know,

I'd have to make a whole brand for that.

[Kobbie laughing]

Pretty relaxed, you know, comfortable.

Like to wear things more loose, not so tight, you know.

[Interviewer] You head out for a nice dinner,

what's like your attire?

Nice pair of jeans, you know,

again, not too tight fitting.

Little jacket maybe leather jacket, something like that.

Some shoes, yeah.

[upbeat music]

Of course a football.

When I was younger I'd always find a football somewhere

or if it wasn't a football I'd kick rocks,

I'd kick leaves, I'd kick anything.

But just having a football is nice.

It's perfect, it's relaxing, you know?

Probably my favorite essential I'd say.

I remember we used to go to like the local high school

and there used to be a guy there Mr Andy.

And we used to go play and it would just be like

kick about with your parents

and stuff like just to get energy out

'cause I was such a hyper kid.

Probably the best times being an academy player

is when we used to get to travel

and go play tournaments abroad and stuff.

Winning my first tournament in Warsaw, in Poland.

I must have been 11, 12, something like that.

Or maybe later on when we won the FA Youth Cup.

Winning my first trophy, the FA Cup,

going to my first major tournament, the Euros,

making my England debut.

It's all been a dream so far, you know?

[Interviewer] Would you rather win the league

with Manchester United or lift a trophy for England?

Which trophy?

[Interviewer] The World Cup.

Ah, it has to be the World Cup, yeah,

I don't think that's much of a competition.

You know, world Cup's the biggest trophy you can win.

England haven't won it in so many years.

So yeah, it'd be an honor to be able to lift that.

[upbeat music]

Fight Club, my favorite film,

only right I have it as the screensaver

'cause all this is really used for

is watching films to be honest.

Again, traveling so much, feel like it's essential

to have an iPad or something to watch.

I just watched American Hustle with my brother.

I really liked that.

I have kind of a rotation of like comfort TV series

that I watch just to like background,

say if I'm doing something else

and just put 'em on like Friends, Modern Family,

The Office, American and the English one.

[Interviewer] What's better, American or UK Office?

It's different.

I like 'em for different reasons you know?

The English one's funny

'cause a lot of English banter in there

and we can get it.

But the American one, I feel like the storylines better.

You know, it's more of like a,

definitely very American isn't it.

How the storyline, how it is

and romance and stuff like that.

But it's both good and both really funny.

[upbeat music]

Next essential McVitie's Chocolate Digestives.

Explicitly McVitie's, because I can't eat any other brand.

Been eating them since I was a kid.

Like all I remember is getting home from school

and going straight to the cupboard and getting three.

But now I've upped my dose a little bit more,

I'm around five or six.

But I try not to have 'em every day.

But sometimes you know, you can't help it.

I don't dunk these, I'm an inconsistent tea drinker.

Like someone's going to get a tea.

Like night before a game or something,

I'll be like, Yeah can you get me one. But-

[Interviewer] Do you have 'em as like a pre-match snack?

No, no, no. That's be too much I think.

[all laughing]

Maybe post match if I've had a good game, you know.

Pretty much now pesto, rigatoni some cream in there,

truffle oil, Parmesan cheese. Bit of salmon as well, yeah.

Cheat meal? Like a greasy, just big burger, yeah, or steak.

[Interviewer] What's your favorite burger spot,

in Manchester?

Burgerism, first found them in lockdown.

Used to drive up and go up to the window

and they passed the food through the window

and then now they've got a few places I think.

But yeah, that's probably my favorite in Manchester.

[chilled music]

So this is my next essential, this is my dog Kodak.

He's a German Shepherd. He's three.

Every time I go home and see him,

definitely a happy face to come home to.

We named him after Kodak the rapper, Kodak Black.

Makes me happy and such a loyal and good dog, aren't ya?

[Kobbie laughing]

Can you see me behind him?

[signal bleep]

He was a tiny little puppy

and must have been this size for a good year now.

If I'm gone for too long and then I come back

he sometimes he can be in a bit of a mood with me.

Like when I went to the Euros and I came back,

I think he ignored me for a few days.

Nah usually he's excited if I'm not gone for too long.

What's up?

He just likes to be chased and so he'll pick up a toy

and just run off and then he wants you to chase him.

So that's one of his favorite games or a bit of fetch.

If he wants to listen then he can do a little trick.

But he has selective hearing, so.[laughs]

Go on.

[Kodak scrambling]

[upbeat music]

I've been growing my hair for like, since March,

whenever that is.

Just have to keep 'em moisturized a lot

and keep 'em, not damp but like a little bit wet.

You know, play football a lot when you sweat

and your hair gets dry so you just have

to keep them moisturize a lot.

So usually I've got like rose water in it,

sometimes maybe water and some oil.

Whether it's like rosemary or coconut oil,

something like that.

I just kind of make it up as I go and just put it in.

If it smells nice it goes in.

Wake up, spray this and just leave it as it is.

Go to training.

There's not much that goes into it to be honest.

I think maybe once it gets a bit longer

then I'll have to start to think about it,

but for now it's just wake up and go.

Well usually I wear a wave cap at night.

I like durags but when I'm just being lazy

and I can't be bothered tying it,

I just pull wave cap on and go to sleep.

Or if I'm traveling or something then I'll do the same.

I think I've had every hairstyle possible, to be honest.

I've had high top, I've had braids, waves,

Mohawks, taper fades, so.

I liked when I had a Mohawk.

Don't mind what I've got now either, so it's all right.

[upbeat music]

Vaseline, you just use it for everything really.

You know your lips, use it on skin,

use it on cuts when I've cut myself

so it just grazes off again.

But yeah, it's really in an essential for me.

I mean even when I was younger,

using S Curl putting it around your hairline

so it doesn't burn your skin.

I try and keep a big one

because the small ones I just lose them constantly.

I don't think I've ever seen like the bottom

of the tub in the little ones

'cause they're just, I lose them way before that.

But Vaseline, there's always been Vaseline in my house,

like big tubs in my house.

I think it was like maybe one tub that was around

for about five or six years

or just one pot of Vaseline use it for anything.

[upbeat music]

[camera shutter clicking]

My Olympus camera, it's quite an old one.

I think it might be just over 10 years old.

My brother had one and he used to take pictures

and he looked sick so I had to find one.

I had to scour eBay for it.

I like taking pictures of my friends or landscape,

just anything.

Take it on holiday with me, took it to Morocco with me,

with my friends and my brother and my cousins.

A few nice pictures out there, you know,

it's a nice country, beautiful country.

So, I've never taken it to a game, you know?

But maybe like for big games I might start taking it.

[upbeat music]

Headphones, AirPod Maxes as I lose in ear so much,

like AirPods, honestly these are big enough

to the point where I can't lose them

and if I do then I need to start looking at myself.

Being a football player, you travel a lot,

you're always on buses, planes, trains even.

So just having a good pair of headphones

that you can switch off with.

Listen to music, watch different TV series

or films and stuff like that, it's essential for me.

Right now I'm listening to Nas Purple, Potter Payper,

real back in style. Show Me, Joey Bada$$.

Not so much hype, I like more chill stuff before games.

Dead Presidents, Jay-Z,

I like that track before a game, yeah.

[upbeat music]

Duffle bag. It's a pretty new one that I've got,

Bottega, but to be honest

it don't really matter the brand for me, I just need a bag.

I hate having things in my pockets.

Sometimes we have like a duffle bag that's too big

and you can fill it up too much

then it's just too heavy and it hurts your shoulder.

But got handles got a strap as well, so you know,

it's pretty versatile.

Obviously you use it for match days as well.

When we're traveling, if we're staying overnight

and right now I've got in it camera, pair of glasses, a hat.

So, random stuff

but easily just fit everything in here.

I mean, all I really need is boxes of socks.

Not too flashy, you know it's not got like brand

or anything all over it.

It's nice color as well.

Yeah, it's a nice size, you know?

Thank you for watching. See you next time.

[upbeat music]

Starring: Kobbie Mainoo