Manchester United: JJ Gabriel – the latest Old Trafford prodigy, aged 15

Manchester United fans won’t have the chance to see JJ Gabriel in a Premier League clash at Old Trafford this season, so a good number of the 2,516 people who spotted him in the 3-2 FA Youth Cup win against Sunderland made sure to take selfies.

Gabriel, who celebrated his 15th birthday in October, is currently in breach of regulations in the Premier League that players must be 15 by 31 August of that season to be allowed to play. So they have to be in the 11th grade at school.

That’s what makes Gabriel such a special talent.

Even though he is a 10th grader in terms of school and physically much smaller than the vast majority of players he plays with and against, he still tends to stand out.

The victory over Crystal Palace, who they face in the Premier League Under-18 Cup final at Selhurst Park next month, and Sunderland, which earned United a place in the semi-finals at Old Trafford, was not his best performance.

But it still created a few magical moments. Chido Obi’s first dismissal in the first half should have given United the lead. Junior Brown had a perfectly weighted pass that went magnificently towards goal for the winner.

Even more exciting was a dazzling two-foot maneuver at the end of the game that put him in position to shoot.

That’s why fans were looking for selfies at the end. That’s why Gabriel’s name is applauded the loudest when recited just before kick-off.

Youth coaches are notoriously reluctant to select individual players for evaluation. They know very well the pressure they can put on young people who expect so much growth and development ahead of them.

But like Max Dowman, the 16-year-old Arsenal man who became the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer last weekend, there is no escaping the spotlight for Gabriel.

He was in the management box with his family during the league opening game against Arsenal in August. He was photographed with Sir Alex Ferguson during the 1-1 draw with West Ham in December.

These events do not happen by chance. United know they have to prove to Gabriel that he should trust them with his future.

They rolled out the red carpet last summer, with manager Jason Wilcox part of the delegation that spoke to Gabriel with a pitch that kept the Londoner in the north-west.

Nothing that has happened since will dissuade Europe’s top clubs from thinking Gabriel has the talent they would like.

He is at the top of the Premier League Under-18 scoring charts. He scored 10 goals in his last nine games. Gabriel is a prominent player in the United team, which is struggling on many fronts under the management of coach Darren Fletcher.

Ruben Amorim was the first to call him to the senior training team, although his reaction to Gabriel’s presence was lukewarm.

This week, Michael Carrick was also asked about the young player.

Fletcher is probably the best referee, given that he has been working with him all season and decided to select him in the false nine position initially to give him more space.

He is more natural outfield, but Fletcher and others believe he is better suited to a central position at the moment, so his physicality does not become a disadvantage.

“I couldn’t speak positively enough about JJ,” Fletcher said when asked about his decision in January.

“He has a wonderful family and incredible support around him.

“He is a name we are happy to have in the club.

“There’s a lot of noise around him and he deserves it because he’s a really talented kid.

“He works hard. He loves football. He loves training and playing and he loves expressing himself.

“He has a bright future ahead of him and I’m very excited about his talent. But most importantly, he continues to improve because he still has a lot to learn.”

This is true as it is for every player.

But there are also milestones.

Wayne Rooney was at Old Trafford with Carrick as his son Kai was an unused substitute in the game.

Rooney made his debut for Everton at the age of 16. When he made his debut against Australia in 2003, he became England’s youngest player, aged 17 years and 111 days.

Gabriel will be 15 years and 320 days old when the 2026-27 season begins on August 22. Although exact dates have not yet been confirmed, it will be before his 16th birthday when United enter next season’s EFL Cup, although it appears certain that they will not enter until the third round stage as European qualifiers.

Currently United’s youngest ever player is goalkeeper David Gaskell, who made his debut at the age of 16 years and 19 days. Legendary England international Duncan Edwards (16 years, six months, four days) is third on the list. Angel Gomes is the youngest player to play for United in the Premier League era (16 years, eight months, 20 days).

Norman Whiteside (17 years 08 days) is United’s youngest goalscorer. Federico Macheda was 17 years, seven months and 14 days old when he scored the unforgettable winner against Aston Villa. He is currently United’s youngest player to score a goal in the Premier League.

Some of these names are proof that being the youngest person to achieve something provides no guarantees. Likewise, there are others who think this is a genuine confirmation of a rare talent.

For now, Gabriel will continue to do his job in the Under-18s. He and his teammates have a lot to achieve.

But it won’t be long before his chance at the top level comes. And this is something that many people are looking forward to.