Manchester United have a brand new star within the making in 15-year-old JJ Gabriel.
The teenager is shattering records at a pace after making his first appearance at Old Trafford on Tuesday night within the third round of the FA Youth Cup.
As he has made a habit of doing, Gabriel stole the show, finding the back of the online after 23 minutes as United sealed a 1-0 win over Peterborough United.
Aged 15 and two months, Gabriel has not even began his GCSEs yet but is considered the subsequent huge talent to emerge off the production line at Carrington.
Already there was a fight to maintain him on the club with Barcelona huge admirers. It was only after breakthrough talks involving United’s chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox that kept him in Manchester last 12 months.
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Since then, the teenager has trained with the first-team, been invited into the director’s box on matchdays and met with Sir Alex Ferguson, a person who knows a thing or two about spotting and placing trust in emerging talent.
Current boss Ruben Amorim can be fully aware of the burgeoning talent on the club. ‘Like everyone, I do know he’s a extremely talented guy.’
Possessing outrageous skill and balance and outstanding ability with either foot, the hype is actually justified along with his style harking back to a young Neymar.
Gabriel has now scored 10 goals in 11 games this season having made the jump as much as Darren Fletcher’s Under 18 side. That return features a sublime hat-trick in a 7-0 thrashing of Liverpool at the top of November. Even among the many catalogue of youth successes dotted through United’s wealthy history, Gabriel’s appearance last night makes him their youngest player to feature within the competition in line with online records dating back to 2006.
Despite the immense potential, it remains to be early days with the trail from academy sensation to senior player an uncertain one. But with United’s current squad short on stand-out academy talent with Kobbie Mainoo’s future uncertain, already there shall be questions of when Gabriel could possibly be unleashed on the first-team.
When can JJ Gabriel play for Manchester United first-team?
Max Dowman has made five appearances for the Arsenal first-team this season aged just 15. But Premier League rules prevent Gabriel from doing so this term.
Rules state a player can only feature within the Premier League in the event that they are aged 15 by 31 August. Having only turned 15 in October, Gabriel must wait until the 2026-27 campaign to make his mark on the English top flight.
Dowman, who turned 15 last December, comfortably made that cut-off.
Should he proceed to glitter for the Under-18s, Gabriel will certainly be within the frame to make his senior debut next season where he would have the possibility to change into United’s youngest player in history – a record currently held by Angel Gomes who made his first appearance aged 16 years and 263 days.
Just how good is JJ Gabriel?
Gabriel is taken into account to be essentially the most exceptional young talent to progress through United’s youth ranks lately and across the sport at youth level, is considered the very best player within the country born in 2010.
Along with those Neymar comparisons, his ability to effortlessly take the ball on the turn has seen him likened to Phil Foden, who progressed through the youth academy over the best way at Manchester City.
Football is plagued by stories of unique talents failing to make the step as much as men’s football. Angel Gomes, who currently holds the record of United’s youngest player in history, has carved out a positive profession for himself in France having also been recognised at international level, but made just 10 more appearances for United after his debut. United’s next youngest debutant Shola Shoretire is currently playing for Dutch club Zwolle, on loan from Greek outfit PAOK.
The situation with Gabriel feels different though and United’s biggest problem will look like keeping holding of him. Barcelona’s interest is well-documented and the teenager holds an Irish passport through his dad, former Republic of Ireland intranational Joe O’Cearuill, meaning any move abroad could be freed from any Brexit red tape.
United shall be counting the times until he’s eligible to sign his first skilled contract at 17.
Tony Mogan, live sports editor
Can JJ Gabriel play within the FA Cup this season?
FA Cup rules would look like barely different. Chris Rigg was 15 years, six months and two days when he got here off the bench to assist Sunderland beat Shrewsbury tOWN within the third round of the competition in January 2023.
In October last 12 months, Marshall Heys made his Salford City debut at 15 years, two months and 6 days in a primary round match, also against Shrewsbury Town, to change into the youngest player to seem for knowledgeable side within the competition.
Amid the furore around Dowman last 12 months, The Athletic reported an academy player under the age of 16 can play within the FA Cup, providing they’re registered appropriately and a letter of consent has been provided to the FA from the player’s parent or guardian and faculty.
United face Brighton within the FA Cup third round in January.
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