Fifteen-year-old Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel has broken his silence after being denied the opportunity to make his senior debut for the Red Devils during Friday evening's 5-0 pre-season win over Rosenborg. The teenager was named in the matchday squad in Norway but remained an unused substitute.
While the likes of Harry Amass, Harry Williams, Jacob Devaney and Shea Lacy were all given the chance to stretch their legs - with each getting on the scoresheet in a dominant display - Gabriel was forced to watch on from the bench. That came despite the growing hype surrounding the youngster, who has already earned the nickname 'Kid Messi'.
However, the teenager is likely to have plenty of opportunities to pick up valuable first-team minutes over the coming weeks. Michael Carrick's side are set to face the likes of Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in Scandinavia before kicking off their Premier League campaign against Hull City on August 22.
JJ Gabriel Sends One-Word Message To Man Utd After Pre-Season Snub
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick looks onManchester United manager Michael Carrick via REUTERS/Scott Heppell
It's still early days in terms of time Carrick has to plan who he wants in his first-team squad next season, with it unknown which youngsters will get a chance as the Carrington Academy cogs begin to churn out talent again. But that hasn't stopped JJ Gabriel from posting to social media straight after failing to come off the bench in Friday's convincing win.
The 15-year-old would have been licking his lips at the prospect of adding to United's flourish this weekend, but showed his humble side with an Instagram story post captioned (see below):
"Patience."
While Gabriel didn't feature in Norway, he was subject to a lot of attention around the stadium, as fans asked to take pictures with him and sign autographs.
The teenager looked refreshingly overwhelmed by it all, but he may just have to get used to the buzz if he continues to impress for the youth side as much as he has up until this point.
Just How Promising is JJ Gabriel?
JJ Gabriel
Gabriel, who does not turn 16 until October, has quickly become one of the most talked about young players in English football. The striker, born in London in 2010 and doesn't turn 16 until October, played in Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham's youth set-ups before joining United in 2022.
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On his debut for United's U18 side, he scored a brace against Leeds and was later invited to train with the first-team squad under Ruben Amorim back in October. He later went on to score in the FA Youth Cup in December against Peterborough and has represented England U15, U16 and U17.
Last season, across the Under-18s Premier League and FA Youth Cup, he scored 26 goals and registered 6 assists in just 29 appearances.