Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Former England, Aston Villa and Leicester City striker Emile Heskey understands why JJ Gabriel wants to leave Manchester United.
The young striker sent shockwaves through the football world when he and his family announced that he wanted to terminate his contract with the Red Devils after he wasn’t included in the first team squad for United’s Champions League campaign opener against Azerbaijani minnows Sabha FK.
It was a game that United would win comfortably 4-0 at Old Trafford, but it sparked a storm that has captured the interest of the world of football by prompting Gabriel, who was then 15-years-old, to seek pastures new.
The saga left Manchester United confused and shocked, and ignited a transfer battle that has seen Europe’s biggest clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG linked with signing the prodigy.
There’s been a lot of discourse about the actions of the players and his family, but one man who is perfectly placed to discuss the ongoing saga regarding Gabriel’s future is Premier League icon Emile Heskey.
Youngsters don’t want to bide their time anymore
Heskey is the father to two sons that are making their own way in the world of top-level football, with Jaden and Reigan Heskey both products of Manchester City’s academy. Jaden (20) is currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from City, while Reigan (18) left the club to join Bundesliga outfit FC Koln this summer.
He believes young players are now desperate to get first-team minutes so that they do not miss their chance to break through into professional football, and they will move wherever they think they can get on the pitch.
Speaking to 10bet, Heskey said: “I get it from the point of view of the parents. A lot of these talented boys are very impatient and they don’t want to bide their time to try and dislodge someone. The reality is, you’ve got to dislodge someone—you’ve got to be better than someone to get a place in the team.
“Opportunities can present themselves. I got my breakthrough when a player was sick, but that was because I was the only other option, but then you’ve got to do well and take the opportunity.
“As a young player, especially these days, you push for a scenario and you want that pathway.”
Heskey admitted that is was an almost impossible task for a 15 or 16-year-old to become a regular starter in the Premier League, but conceded that if the player want’s first team football, then he has a right to go out and seek it.
“For JJ Gabriel, he wants to play first-team football, which you’ve got to give to him if he feels that he’s ready for that and he feels very confident in his ability. But you’re at one of the biggest clubs in the world, so who are you going to dislodge, and are you better than them? It’s an almost impossible task for a 15-year-old to be playing first team football at a club in the Premier League. You’ve got to be better than the senior pros in the starting line up to play every week.”
However, while Heskey notes Paul Pogba’s first departure from United to Juventus proved that an early switch can go well, he pointed to Martin Odegaard’s difficult years at Real Madrid as an example of how a career can be held up.
The most important thing for Gabriel is playing time
Heskey believes that the most important concern for JJ Gabriel will be playing time. He made his breakthrough as a 17-year-old at Leicester City playing five seasons in senior football before joining Liverpool at the age of 22.
Heskey stressed that there have been youngsters that have jumped ship, but they haven’t played and that doesn’t help them in the longterm.
“If you can’t get into the club that you’re at, do you sit there for another two or three years, with only five senior appearances under your belt? I left Leicester at 22 – I’d played five seasons, not five games. These lads have got to play games.
“Let’s say you’re playing for the youth national teams and doing really well. You’ve started to develop a good name for yourself, but you’ve only played five senior games.
“And let’s say you’re at a Championship club and played a lot. I played Under-21s for England with 120+ games under my belt. The England coaches are always going to look at the player who has more minutes under his belt. JJ Gabriel might be a better option, but if you haven’t shown anything by not playing then you’re not going to get picked.
“These kids actually have to go out and play. But it’s all about choosing the right club and the right time to go. You can’t be hanging around waiting when you get to 18, 19, 20 because you’re wasting your career.”
Having turned 16 this week, Gabriel, because he has a European passport, is free to join any European club of his choosing. Reports are suggesting that whoever signs him are going to have to offer an eye-watering salary to land him and that he has employed a super agent to facilitate his next move.
It looks this saga will be drawing to a conclusion soon enough, and Heskey concluded with a message of support for the youngster”
“You can only believe in your own ability to get yourself a first-team spot somewhere. If he chooses Real Madrid or Barcelona and if he believes in himself very highly, then you can’t argue with the decision of the player and the family,” he said.