By NATHAN SALT - FOOTBALL REPORTER
Published: 03:20 EST, 10 December 2025 | Updated: 03:20 EST, 10 December 2025
No club has been more successful in the FA Youth Cup than Manchester United and now the pressure sits on the shoulders of former first team Darren Fletcher to guide the current crop to glory.
Fletcher's fledglings got their Youth Cup campaign underway at Old Trafford in front of around 1,300 fans on Tuesday night, squeezing past Peterborough United 1-0 to book a spot in round four.
This time last year Chido Obi was running roughshod over opponents en route to the semi-finals. Go back to 2022 when Alejandro Garnacho was the star of the show as United lifted the Youth Cup at Old Trafford in front of more than 60,000 fans. Go even further back to the famed Class of 2011 when Paul Pogba spearheaded a star-studded side to the title.
Now it's the turn of JJ Gabriel, United's 15-year-old phenom who is the youngest player in club history to play in this competition, to guide United to glory.
On Tuesday night it was his fine finish from the edge of the box that set up a home fourth round tie against Cambridge United or Derby County.
Daily Mail Sport's NATHAN SALT picks out three key players that will be key if United are to go on and win this competition in 2025-26.
15-year-old JJ Gabriel made Manchester United history in the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday night
STAR MAN - JJ GABRIEL
Last season all eyes were on Max Dowman at Arsenal as he marvelled in the Youth Cup.
This time round the eyes of academy football are locked onto JJ Gabriel - and he certainly delivered in his first Youth Cup contest.
Comparison is often the thief of joy when it comes to youth players. Dowman produced one of the best academy performances I have ever seen when Arsenal lost in extra-time to United at the Emirates Stadium last season. He looked first team ready that night.
While Gabriel didn’t dominate to that extent in a close-contest at Old Trafford, he did show with his dribbling, his movement, and the finish for the winning goal why United are so desperate to keep hold of him amid interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
What is curious with Gabriel is long term where his best position is.
This season under Fletcher he has played as a false No 9, as a left winger and more recently as a No 10 in a three-man midfield.
Here he was operating as a No 10, playing just off centre forward Louie Bradbury and, in truth, it took a while for United to get their best player into the game.
United staff around the Under-18s team believe a central role will enhance Gabriel’s goal production in the long term and his strike here, a superb first-time finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box that looks far easier than it actually is, was his 11th from 12 games this season so we can’t argue with the results.
Given the great expectations on Gabriel - who, as first reported by Daily Mail Sport in March, has been earmarked by Nike as the future of their Mercurial brand after they beat out adidas for his signature - it is easy to forget he made history on Tuesday night.
Gabriel celebrated his first Old Trafford goal in style with a knee-slide at the Stretford End
Gabriel became both the youngest player to ever appear for United in the competition since online records of it began, appearing at 15 years, two months and three days, edging out Omari Forson, the previous record holder.
He is not the youngest scorer in tournament history, that would appear to be Jaxon Tomak, who scored for Lincoln City at the age of 14 last season.
But the fluidity of Gabriel’s movement with the ball here was something to marvel at for a player that is still a year out from his GCSEs.
First team training has improved his level of physicality and he is becoming harder to brush off the ball. Drawing eye test comparisons to Neymar may seem hyperbolic but they are apt.
Gabriel can be selfish at times, holding on to the ball too much, which will be an undoing in some games. It's typical of the top players in each age group.
But he did tee up team-mates on multiple occasions, only for chances to be spurned, which should be pointed out for balance.
It was in pre-season that both Ruben Amorim and Jason Wilcox would watch and discuss Gabriel’s clips from academy matches and it was earlier this season that Amorim held an in-person meeting with Gabriel at Carrington, a sign of his reputation at the club.
There is every chance Gabriel could go on to become United's youngest-ever Premier League player next season - the earliest point he could play in the top flight.
Should he do so there is every possibility he breaks the record of Angel Gomes (16 years, 263 days), Shola Shoretire (17 years, 19 days) and Chido Obi (17 years, 79 days) as the youngest players to make a debut for United.
His star power can carry United on another deep Youth Cup run but to maximise his immense skill-set, United need to get him more of the ball. Do that and, usually, good things happen, just as they did here, capped off brilliantly by a knee-slide in front of the Stretford End.
KEY MAN - JIM THWAITES
Wearing the captain's armband, Thwaites is having to carry a great deal of responsibility for this young and ever-changing group.
Operating as the deepest in a three-man midfield, the technically gifted No 6 was tasked with dictating the game while also having to covers large swathes of space with the more attacking Gabriel and Jariyah Shah ahead of him.
Thwaites, who turns 18 next week, is super composed on the ball which is something you would expect as one of the oldest in the age group as a 2007-born player.
But age aside, his poise when receiving the ball and opening his body out in the same motion before playing an incisive pass makes him stand out.
There was one moment in the first half when he received the ball on the half-turn from left back Godwill Kukonki, controlled with his left foot and spun to face the opponent's goal, before pinging a long deadeye diagonal to Yuel Helafu on the right wing.
Of all the United youngsters that played on Tuesday night he was the most comfortable facing his own goal and receiving the ball. He's the most accomplished player against a high press.
Thwaites wears the captain's armband for the Under-18s
His ability to receive on the half-turn makes him so easy on the eye at the base of midfield
But Thwaites can do more than he showed on this display. He needs to further imprint his quality on games and make better use of his set pieces given his incredible portfolio of set piece goals for the club.
Thwaites has a passing range in the mould of Paul Scholes and the set piece prowess akin to David Beckham.
Having oscillated between Under-18s, Under-21s and also having trained with the first team, Thwaites' development is on an accelerator right now.
Head of Recruitment Christopher Vivell was in attendance and he will no doubt have been struck by Thwaites' European play style.
Vivell's attendance was noteworthy and perhaps a sign that he is further analysing which areas in the academy sides need the most investment. United have already agreed a deal to add defensive midfielder Cristian Orozco once he turns 18.
But there is already a high-ceiling No 6 at the club and his form, along with Gabriel, will dictate just how far this United side can go in the Youth Cup.
Thwaites was good here but he can be even better and he will need to be if he is to take that next step to fulfil his potential.
WILCARD - YUEL HELAFU
There were a few contenders for this one, notably Kukonki at left back or Shah in midfield alongside Gabriel and Thwaites.
But I've gone with right back Helafu, a really accomplished player that has so many traits of modern full-backs such as Myles Lewis-Skelly, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
While I am not suggesting his talent is currently on par with that trio, his ability (and often desire) to drift inside and operate from a midfield position is something all of the aforementioned trio have shown with great frequency in the Premier League.
You can see with Helafu that he is technically very accomplished and he has improved massively in recent months having been promoted to a handful of first team training sessions, as well as regular minutes playing for the Under-21s.
'He is a talented boy,' Under-21s lead Travis Binnion told me of Helafu after a game last month.
Helafu, who plays at right back, is flying under the radar in this side
He is a wildcard for this team given his ability to drift into and operate in midfield
'I had a chat with him about the differences [between Under-18s and Under-21s]. He said he has learned loads and has to do this and that.
'He has real quality and there is a spirit about him. He is calm. He has a persona. There is stuff he has to work on but he has some really good skills.'
Helafu doesn't have blistering pace but his spacial awareness is improving and in the moments he got caught out here he was clever enough to snuff out danger.
Won't win many headlines but is technically always so impressive. One to invest your academy stocks into.
Manchester United