Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was pictured with JJ Gabriel after recent speculation about the long-term future of the teenage academy sensation
(Image: https://www.instagram.com/jjnr10/?hl=en)
View 2 Images
Manchester United wonderkid shared a photo with Sir Alex Ferguson on Thursday, with the pair pictured together at Old Trafford. The teenage sensation spoke of the 'honour' of meeting the legendary manager, who was in attendance for the home draw with West Ham.
Gabriel, who only turned 15 in October, has already been making waves for United's Under-18 side. He has 10 goals in 10 games for the Under-18s this season, including hat-tricks against Derby and Liverpool.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, his form has sparked transfer speculation, Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move which could see the teenager link up with Marcus Rashford, whose loan from United could well lead to a permanent switch next summer.
So far, though, the efforts of director of football Jason Wilcox have convinced Gabriel to stay put. He is expected to turn down a Barca move - at least for now - and fans have been encouraged by the photo with Ferguson.
"You stay with us, don't go anywhere. You'll definitely be promoted to the senior team soon," one fan commented on Gabriel's Instagram post with the former manager. "Hopefully the Boss convinced you to stay. Your future's here," another wrote.
Gabriel and his camp are also said to have spoken privately with Ruben Amorim. United's head coach has invited the youngster to train with the senior side previously and has publicly sung his praises.
"Like everyone, I know he is a really talented guy, and everyone paid attention on social media," Amorim said in the autumn. "You could see the U21s had a game and we had less players and tried to pick players for training that have talent.
"Not just for me to see for tomorrow, but also for them to feel what it means to be in the first-team, the difficulties playing against our defenders, the difficulty of our training, the pace. If we can use every training we have to show the kids what they need to do to be here, it's important, not just for JJ, but for everyone."
JJ Gabriel celebrating for United's Under 18s
JJ Gabriel celebrating for United's Under 18s
View 2 Images
Gabriel and Ferguson weren't able to witness a United win on Thursday night. Diogo Dalot put United in front against West Ham after a goalless first half, but Soungoutou Magassa levelled things up for the visitors late on.
"I think the overall performance was not perfect," Amorim told Match of the Day. "We had our moments but we lost control in the game in some minutes in the first half and in the second half, especially after the goal. The game was clearly ours to win and we had an opportunity with Cunha to finish the game. "
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Content Image
Content Image