Manchester United fans have some things to get excited about in the present, but none more so than JJ Gabriel when it comes to the future.
At just 14, JJ Gabriel is already tearing apart the league for Man Utd 18s, playing as the striker and leading the goalscoring charts in the U18s Premier League.
Gabriel has been tipped for big things for a while now, which seems like an insane thing to say for a 14-year-old prospect, but that’s just how special he’s been.
Beyond the raw goalscoring, however, Gabriel showed an important evolution in his game in Man Utd U18s’ most recent fixture, which proves why he’ll break records.
JJ Gabriel celebrates with knee slide and gun fingers for Manchester United.
Photo by Anthony Devlin/Manchester United via Getty Images
JJ Gabriel’s match-winning moment for Man Utd U18s
Darren Fletcher’s U18s have picked up from where the previous batch left off last season, dominating the league with style and substance.
Along with Man City, they are the only team in the league to have won all four of their matches so far, scoring 11 times and not conceding a single goal.
Gabriel has already bagged a hat-trick and a brace, good for second place in the highest goalscorers list for the U18s Premier League this season.
However, Ruben Amorim will have been most pleased by what Gabriel did in their most recent game against Burnley U18s, where he didn’t score.
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United dominated territory and possession but failed to break down Burnley’s disciplined defence.
Gabriel was getting outmuscled and not managing any space or time on the ball, until one moment where he made all the difference.
Receiving the ball on his less-favoured right wing, he wasn’t afraid to take on the defender as he did a stepover and took the ball to the byline.
His quick feet bamboozled the Burnley defender, who brought him down with a sloppy tackle in the box, leading to a penalty for Man Utd U18s.
Jim Thwaits scored the penalty confidently to save United’s 100% winning record in the league, with Gabriel producing the match-winning moment.
Gabriel will break records at Man Utd
Playing for the U18s at just 14 is pretty remarkable as it is, but if Gabriel continues to show development in his game beyond just scoring, then it’s inevitable that he’ll break records.
Already, it seems like a given that he will become United’s youngest-ever player if, and when, he makes his debut next season for the senior team.
That’s still at least 10 months away, during which Gabriel can continue to develop and dominate in the youth ranks.
Once he makes his debut for the club, it isn’t beyond imagination that he’ll become the youngest scorer as well, because his movement in the box and finishing abilities will translate to senior football.
Gabriel will garner interest from all of Europe once he’s 16, so United will do everything in their power to convince him that his future lies at Old Trafford.
That means fast-tracking him into the senior setup. On the basis of his performances so far, that move will be well-deserved.