Ruben Amorim will be eager to dip into the Manchester United academy again, with several young players having the potential to become star players.
For Manchester United, the link between academy and first team is as strong as ever under Ruben Amorim, with numerous talents showing signs of stepping up.
Amorim handed out three academy debuts last season with Chido Obi being followed by Harry Amass and Tyler Fredricson.
This season, Amorim seems to be lining up Jack Fletcher for a first team promotion, while pre-season saw Ethan Williams emerge as a talent for United.
However, this would be for the immediate future, while already United are planning academy promotions for the future.
This sees Kai Rooney being tipped for fast-tracking through the ranks, and is currently an U18 player at the age of 15. But Rooney isn’t alone in being fast tracked.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim applauds the fans after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim pictured with JJ Gabriel at Carrington
Rooney’s fast tracking has come out of nowhere, as he starred in the NI Super Cup earlier this summer for the U16s before earning a U19 call-up at the Mladen Ramljak tournament in Croatia.
However, for Rooney’s U18 teammate JJ Gabriel, the rapid rise and playing beyond his years will come as no surprise.
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Gabriel is billed as being United’s next great academy graduate and he has already proven himself for the U18s despite being just 14. Having already made U18 football look easy, Ruben Amorim has taken an interest in Gabriel, watching clips of the starlet in action.
Now, Amorim and Gabriel have been photographed together at Carrington, as shared by JJ Gabriel’s father Joe O’Cearuill.
This hammers home the idea that Amorim is seriously taking note of Gabriel’s development for the future.
Gabriel isn’t eligible to make his United debut yet given his age, but Amorim will absolutely be planning for a future with the 14-year-old which may actually begin this season.
This comes after Simon Stone from BBC Sport has claimed that Amorim has told Gabriel that he will be given first team training opportunities this season.
JJ Gabriel could be instrumental in Manchester United’s ‘Project 150’
While Gabriel is still one year from even being able to make his United debut, the intention is clearly there from the club to demonstrate how highly they rate him.
With Gabriel wanted across Europe, United have to prove his best development plan will be to remain at Old Trafford. To convince him, United had JJ Gabriel in the directors box vs Arsenal which is another sign that he could very quickly get his chance in senior football.
Amorim’s interest in Gabriel could be with a view to making the teenager the crown jewel of United’s ‘Project 150’ which would be 2028 when Gabriel is 17 or 18.
Gabriel is seen as United’s Lamine Yamal and if he develops as expected over the next 24 months, then it isn’t unthinkable that he will be a first team player.
But for now, Gabriel needs to keep working hard and prove himself further at an academy level.