Manchester United’s most exciting talent in the entire academy right now is 14-year-old JJ Gabriel.
Despite being so young, JJ Gabriel has already established himself as a star for the Manchester United academy.
At just 14 years old, Gabriel is tipped as the ‘heir to Cristiano Ronaldo’s throne’ by Nike, having lit up lower academy youth levels.
Then, having dominated U16 football, Gabriel scored twice on his U18 debut for United, breaking multiple records with this performance.
🏴⭐️ | 𝐉𝐉 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥 (𝟏𝟒) — U18 Premier League
• 46 Minutes Played
• 3 Goals
• Goal every 15 Minutes
𝟏𝟒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒-𝐎𝐋𝐃. pic.twitter.com/fZVcbkbskg
— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) May 2, 2025
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Marcus Rashford reacted to Gabriel’s performance, which speaks as to the level of player that he has already caught the eye of at Carrington.
This summer, Gabriel has spent the entire off season working hard and training ahead of a massive season for him personally. Now, he’s been spotted at a training camp alongside one of Newcastle United’s biggest names.
Manchester United U18 side celebrate FA Youth Cup win vs Arsenal.
Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images
JJ Gabriel at training camp with Sandro Tonali
Gabriel is not only one of the finest talents at United but also the country, potentially in all of Europe.
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United are doing everything to try and convince Gabriel to remain at the club long term, with his future yet to be decided.
Now, as he likely prepares to commence pre-season with the U18s next month, Gabriel has been over in Marbella training with Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, who is a fellow Nike athlete.
To be 14 and in training camps with seasoned professionals who cost £55m just a few years ago is a massive statement as to how talented Gabriel is and alongside the picture of him with Tonali, there were clips of the United attacker showing his finishing.
This is not only impressive, but also shows that Gabriel’s head is not on finding a new club, instead he is knuckling down and working hard ahead of the new season in which he will reach new heights.
Can JJ Gabriel make his Manchester United debut this season?
It might seem ridiculous to discuss a 14-year-old player as an option for Amorim, but based on his limited minutes at U18 level, Gabriel has been tipped to break records under Amorim over the next few years.
Gabriel could be a Lamine Yamal level talent and if he is, it won’t be long until he’s a regular face in senior training, however, when would he be able to play?
Despite being so talented, Gabriel won’t be able to make Premier League debut until 2026/27, this because a player must be 15 by August to be eligible to debut in that campaign. Gabriel turns 15 in October.
United could however give Gabriel a taste of first team football in pre-season or even in the League Cup potentially if they are looking to make a statement and prove to the player and his people that Old Trafford is the best place for him.
However, he is still so young that there should be no rush at all.