Youth is at the heart of Manchester United’s philosophy, but they might be about to take even that a step further if Ruben Amorim’s latest stance on JJ Gabriel is any indication.
JJ Gabriel is a name that has been spoken about in extremely excited tones at Man Utd for a while now, which is an insane statement to even make about a 14-year-old.
However, that is the precocious talent Gabriel possesses, and he’s already being fast-tracked at Man Utd.
Gabriel is a fixture for the Man Utd U18s side after committing to stay at the club for at least the next two years, and he’s dominating despite the age gap.
He’s caught Ruben Amorim’s eye as well.
A general view of Carrington Training Ground on July 04, 2025
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim taking ‘keen interest’ in JJ Gabriel
Gabriel didn’t turn 15 at the start of this season (turns 15 on October 6, 2025), so he can’t debut for Man Utd this season.
However, just the fact that a senior debut at Man Utd for a 14-year-old is even considered speaks volumes about how highly rated he is at Carrington.
Gabriel has been nicknamed “Kid Messi”, or “Mini Cristiano Ronaldo”, which are obviously exaggerations at this point in his career, but nobody is scoffing at it.
Gabriel is flying at the U18s level despite his age, and because he committed to the club, it’s fair to assume some promises have been made.
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It looks like a foregone conclusion that he’ll get his senior debut next season, and in the meantime, Amorim seems to already be preparing a plan of how to use him.
In a drastic step that isn’t reported for many players, The Daily Mail reports that Amorim has taken a ‘keen interest’ in Gabriel’s Man Utd career, in particular.
He’s being kept updated on the youngster’s development, watching clips of his games to get an idea of what he’s all about.
Man Utd doing their all to convince Gabriel of his future
United won the battle by keeping Gabriel at the club for two more years, but the war is yet to come when he turns 16 and can negotiate with European clubs.
The club are doing everything in their power to ensure that when that time comes, they have an immense amount of goodwill with the player.
Gabriel was invited to the director’s box vs Arsenal, and this report of Amorim watching him closely also seems to be a club line to hammer home their trust in him.
The club are likely to make him the youngest Man Utd debutant of all time next season as soon as he becomes eligible to further stress the same.
A special talent is getting special attention. Now it’s up to him and the club in equal measure to handle his development carefully.