Manchester United’s fans won’t have a chance to see JJ Gabriel in Premier League action at Old Trafford this season, so a good proportion of the 2,516 who saw him feature in the 3-2 FA Youth Cup win over Sunderland made sure they got their selfies.
As he only celebrated his 15th birthday in October, Gabriel currently falls foul of the Premier League regulation that players must be 15 by 31 August of the season in question to be allowed to play. In other words, they have to be in Year 11 at school.
That is what makes Gabriel such a special talent.
Despite being a Year 10 in school terms and, physically, much smaller than the vast majority of the players he is playing with and against, he still tends to stand out.
The victory against Sunderland that earned United an Old Trafford semi-final with Crystal Palace, who they also meet in the Premier League Under-18 Cup final at Selhurst Park next month, wasn’t his best performance.
But he still produced a couple of magical moments. There was the first-time lay-off to Chido Obi in the first half that really should have led to United going in front. There was the perfectly weighted pass to Junior Brown that was smashed home superbly for the winner.
More thrillingly, there was the dazzling two-footed manoeuvre that took him into a shooting position at the end of the game.
That’s why those fans were after their selfies at the end. It is why Gabriel’s name was cheered the loudest when it was read out just before kick-off.
Youth coaches are notoriously reluctant to single out individual players for assessment. They know only too well the pressure they can place on youngsters who have so much growing up and so much development ahead of them.
But, just as with Arsenal’s Max Dowman – the 16-year-old who last weekend became the Premier League’s youngest ever scorer – for Gabriel there is no escaping attention.
In August, he was in the directors’ box with his family for the league opener against Arsenal. In December, he was pictured with Sir Alex Ferguson at the 1-1 draw with West Ham.
These events do not happen by accident. United know they must prove to Gabriel that he should commit his future to them.
They rolled out the red carpet last summer, when technical director Jason Wilcox was part of the delegation that spoke to Gabriel with a sales pitch that kept the Londoner in the north-west.
Nothing that has happened since will dissuade Europe’s leading clubs from thinking Gabriel has talent they would quite like.
He is top of the Premier League Under-18 scoring charts. He has scored 10 goals in his past nine games. In a United side challenging on multiple fronts under coach Darren Fletcher, Gabriel is a stand-out performer.
Ruben Amorim was the first to call him into the senior training squad, even if his response to Gabriel’s presence was lukewarm.
Michael Carrick was also asked about the youngster this week.
Fletcher is probably the best judge though given he has worked with him all season, deciding initially to pick him in a false nine position to give him more space.
He is more natural out wide but Fletcher and others are of the view he is better suited currently to a central position, so his physicality does not become a disadvantage.
“I couldn’t speak highly enough of JJ,” said Fletcher, when asked for his verdict in January.
“He’s got an amazing family and amazing support around him.
“He’s somebody we’re delighted to have at the club.
“There’s a lot of noise around him and deservedly so because he’s a real 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 super excited by his talent. But the most important thing is that he keeps developing because he still has lots to learn.”
This is true, as it is of any player.
But there are also milestones.
Wayne Rooney was at Old Trafford, along with Carrick, as his son Kai was an unused substitute in the game.
Rooney made his senior debut for Everton at 16. He became England’s youngest player when he made his debut against Australia in 2003, aged 17 years and 111 days.
When the 2026-27 season begins on 22 August, Gabriel will be 15 years and 320 days. Although the specific dates are yet to be confirmed, when United enter next season’s EFL Cup, it will be before his 16th birthday, even if, as seems certain, they do not enter until the third round stage as a European qualifier.
Currently, United’s youngest ever player is David Gaskell, a goalkeeper who made his debut when he was 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 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 scorer. Federico Macheda was 17 years, seven months, and 14 days when he scored his memorable winner against Aston Villa. He is still United’s youngest Premier League scorer.
Some of those names are proof that being the youngest to achieve something offers no guarantees. Equally, there are others for whom it was genuine confirmation of a rare talent.
For now, Gabriel will carry on doing his thing at the Under-18s. There is plenty for him – and his team-mates – to achieve.
But it won’t be long before his chance at senior level comes. And that is something many are looking forward to.
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