Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images
Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images
Manchester United’s players are used to battling expectations, and one talent looks set to be thrown straight in at the deep end.
The fanbase at Manchester United is very aware that the club might have a very special talent in JJ Gabriel.
Gabriel is only 15, yet finished as top scorer for the under-18s last season and netted 27 goals in all competitions.
The youngster has trained regularly with the first team, and in an unprecedented move, he played in pre-season against Atletico Madrid.
And now the ‘hype train’ is beginning to build…
Rosenborg BK v Manchester United - Pre-Season Friendly
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JJ Gabriel tipped to be United’s Lamine Yamal
It’s one thing when United fans are quietly talking up ‘the next big thing’ set to break through at the club, and it’s another when it’s the national media.
Gabriel’s academy performances have not gone unnoticed. Sky Sports recently featured Gabriel on a segment, which talked up his potential.
Pundit and former player Jay Bothroyd tipped Gabriel to be the next Lamine Yamal, a comparison which creates impossible pressure.
Yamal is already an international champion at the Euros and the World Cup with Spain, and a key player at club level for Barcelona.
Gabriel is certainly capable of becoming a regular for United in the years ahead, but setting high expectations at a Yamal level is just unhelpful.
The teenager’s progress is one to watch, but it is also a balancing act for United and for head coach Michael Carrick.
There is a long list of talented young players at United over the years who have not fulfilled their potential.
We don’t want Gabriel to be added to that list. But when you raise his ‘potential’ to Yamal type levels – it just seems like an unfair barometer for a 15-year-old to reach.
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Gabriel battling to make history
JJ Gabriel is in contention to make history at Manchester United, putting his name in the record books.
The youngest ever United player is David Gaskell, a record the goalkeeper set in 1950, at 16 years and 19 days.
Gabriel must make his first team debut before October 25 this year to break the record.