The last few days have been a whirlwind at Manchester United. The Red Devils suffered another disappointing result at Old Trafford, drawing 1-1 against relegation-threatened West Ham United.
Ruben Amorim's side struggled to create many substantial chances and could only earn a point against the Hammers.
Man-Utd-Player-Ratings-West-Ham
It was another game where Kobbie Mainoo didn’t play, either. The United academy graduate, a true gem of Carrington, has only played 171 minutes in the Premier League this term.
His lack of minutes has certainly upset United fans, with club legend Paul Scholes even saying on a now-deleted social media post that he is “being ruined.”
Mainoo
However, the 20-year-old’s talent cannot be forgotten.
Mainoo’s rise from the academy ranks
It has been a long time since the Red Devils had an academy graduate as exciting as Mainoo, perhaps as far back as Marcus Rashford all those years ago. The midfielder represents what the club stands for: youth, courage, success.
kobbie mainoo
Mainoo’s rise to the top was nothing short of astronomical. He made his first Premier League start back in late November 2023.
Less than 12 months later, he was a starter for England at the European Championships, playing from minute one against Spain in the final.
In his first tournament, key England midfielder Declan Rice was full of praise for Mainoo. The Arsenal star said his midfield partner “has that leadership and the way he takes the ball and is comfortable,” which is high praise just months into his professional career.
Kobbie-Mainoo-England-Euro-2024-final
United embrace the academy; it has been the heartbeat of the club for decades upon decades.
Mainoo has done Carrington proud in his 82 appearances so far, with the highlight no doubt his FA Cup final winner in 2024. That is what the Red Devils are all about.
Mainoo’s lack of minutes this season is frustrating, but his talent must be celebrated. Incredibly, United have an academy star who might be even more talented than their number 37.
United’s best academy talent
The Red Devils’ long history of success can largely be attributed to their academy. The Busby Babes, the Class of ‘92, graduates from the 2010s such as Rashford, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, all contributed to silverware.
Pogba, Rashford, Lingard
Perhaps the next great academy graduate from Carrington will be JJ Gabriel.
Despite being just 15 years of age, he is already one of the most highly rated academy players and has been described as potentially being already “better than Premier League players.”
Indeed, Gabriel has shone for the Red Devils’ under-18s this season, playing under the tutelage of Darren Fletcher. In just 11 appearances, he’s found the back of the net ten times and has grabbed one assist.
Those numbers speak for themselves, but given that he is playing three years up, it becomes an even more impressive feat.
The versatile attacker, who can play up front or as a winger, is not only consistent but also cashes in when he does score.
He’s bagged two goals in a game once, and a hat-trick twice, including one against Liverpool under-18s last weekend. He also grabbed eight goals and assists in August and September.
Gabriel form in August & September
Opponent
Everton (A)
Middlesbrough (H)
Derby (A)
Burnley (H)
Wolves (A)
Man City (H)
Stats from Transfermarkt
In terms of his technical ability, Gabriel is rated incredibly highly. Alfie Brooks, the youngster’s one-to-one coach, said he could go into a Premier League dressing room and “technically he would be better than all of them. It wouldn’t even be close.”
He has bags of tricks, a low centre of gravity and a good footballing brain.
Mainoo’s talent is doubtless, but Gabriel might well be an even bigger prospect. To receive the sort of praise he has is a testament to his quality, and the numbers he puts up on a weekly basis show how talented he is.
The attacker is someone United fans will hope to see break into the first team in the coming years, playing alongside Mainoo week in, week out.
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