JJ Gabriel wouldn't be the first highly-rated young player to leave Manchester United
JJ Gabriel of Manchester United U21 in action during the Premier League 2 match between Manchester United U21 and Leicester City U21 at Leigh Sports Village
JJ Gabriel wants to leave Manchester United(Image: getty images )
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Manchester United have been rocked by the news that teenage sensation JJ Gabriel wants to leave the club.
The 15-year-old refused to train on Tuesday despite United's plans to name him in the squad for their Carabao Cup third round clash against Brighton on Wednesday. Featuring against the Seagulls would have made the forward the youngest-ever player to play for United, but those plans appear to have been dashed after Gabriel sent the club a formal notification for his registration to be cancelled.
United still feel the situation is reparable given the time left on his contract, but it certainly isn't the ideal situation, especially after the club's disappointing start to the Premier League season.
Gabriel's possible exit would be a nightmare outcome, but he wouldn't be the first highly-rated talent to leave the club before establishing himself in the senior game. Here are eight former United talents who left the club and what they achieved after departing Old Trafford.
Paul Pogba
The Frenchman was recruited from Le Havre to Man United in 2009 and spent two years in the academy setup before making his senior debut in the 2011/12 season. However, he departed that summer for Juventus after failing to agree on a new deal.
Pogba was criticised by Sir Alex Ferguson at the time for showing "a lack of respect", but an Old Trafford return beckoned for the midfielder after a triumphant four-year tenure in Turin. Pogba became the most expensive player in world football when United spent £89million on his services, but major honours bypassed him at United.
Paul Pogba celebrating
Paul Pogba had two different stints at Manchester United(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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He played 226 games for the club in his second stint and scored 39 goals and won just the EFL Cup and Europa League. The big trophies in Pogba's career came on the international stage as he played a major role in France's World Cup victory in 2018 and the Nations League two years later.
Gerard Pique
United signed Gerard Pique to their youth system from Barcelona in 2004 before the Spaniard signed a professional contract with his boyhood club. The defender became a regular for the reserve team before he was sent out on loan to Real Zaragoza for the 2006/07 season.
Upon his return to Old Trafford, Pique played a bit-part role in United's triumph in the Premier League and Champions League. He played 23 games across all competitions in total for United, as first-team opportunities were limited by the defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
Gerard Pique poses with Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United while holding a United scarf after signing for Manchester United
Gerard Pique went on to have a successful career with Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)
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A return to Barcelona was clinched in 2008, with Pique becoming an integral member of Barcelona's remarkable success over the next 14 years. He played 616 games for the Catalan giants and won 30 major honours.
Danny Drinkwater
The former England midfielder spent the entirety of his youth career at United, but left for Leicester City in 2012 without making a senior appearance. He had enjoyed four different loans before making the King Power Stadium his home and enjoyed unprecedented success when playing a key role in their Premier League title win in the 2015/16 campaign.
Danny Drinkwater of Manchester United Youth during the FA Youth Cup sponsored by E.ON Semi-Final, 2nd Leg match between Manchester United Youth and Arsenal Youth at Old Trafford on April 2, 2007 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Danny Drinkwater won the Premier League at Leicester City(Image: Getty Images)
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Drinkwater remained at Leicester for one more season before securing a £35m move to Chelsea, but endured a nightmare stint at Stamford Bridge. He played just 23 games for the Blues in five years and retired from football in 2023 after spending a year as a free agent.
Danny Simpson
Danny Simpson managed to make eight appearances for Manchester United in the 2007/08 season after rising through the youth ranks. After loans at Royal Antwerp, Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, the Englishman inked a permanent move to the Magpies.
Danny Simpson of Manchester United running during the Pre-season Friendly match between Preston North End and Manchester United at Deepdale on July 29, 2006 in Preston, England.
Danny Simpson came through the United ranks(Image: Paul Mcfegan/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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A three-year stint at St James' Park was followed by a season at Queens Park Rangers before Simpson wrote himself into folklore after winning the league with Leicester City. Short tenures across the English football league followed, with the 39-year-old now based in Dubai after joining Arabian Falcons last month as a player-coach.
Giuseppe Rossi
Giuseppe Rossi of Manchester United poses with Sir Alex Ferguson after signing a new contract at Carrington Training Ground on July 4 2006 in Manchester, England.
Giuseppe Rossi's career was blighted by injury(Image: John Peters, Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Brought to Old Trafford at 17 years old, the US-born former Italy international scored four goals in 14 games for United before signing for La Liga side Villarreal after a fruitful loan spell at Roma. Rossi, 39, enjoyed a stellar career in Spain, scoring 82 goals in 192 games for the Yellow Submarine.
A move to Fiorentina in 2013 was next for Rossi, who found the prime years of his career wasted due to consistent injuries. Despite his lack of success in Florence, he scored 19 goals in 42 games before bouncing around Spain, Italy and United States and eventually retired in 2023. The former striker now serves as the head of soccer for USL League One club New York Cosmos.
Angel Gomes
Angel Gomes of LOSC Lille during the warm
Angel Gomes left United in 2020(Image: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
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Once regarded as a future pillar for United, Angel Gomes became the first player born in the 2000s to play in the top-flight. However, the midfielder played just 10 games for the club before departing for Lille in 2020.
The 26-year-old became a key man for the Ligue 1 side, with his impressive performances earning him an England call-up under then-interim boss Lee Carsley. Gomes - who has four caps to his name - joined Marseille last year but left after six months to sign for Wolves on loan.
He has since returned to his parent club after the Midlands side were relegated to the Championship last season.
Robbie Savage
The Premier League veteran is among the lesser-talked-about members of United's Class of 92, with Savage having played alongside David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, and Ryan Giggs in the youth ranks.
The former Leicester and Blackburn midfielder signed a professional deal at Old Trafford, but never made a first-team appearance for the club and signed for Crewe Alexandra in 1994.
Manchester United youth team pose with the Lancashire Youth Cup following their victory over Blackburn.
Back row left to right are: Chris Casper, Nicky Butt, Colin Murdoch, Steven Riley, Darren Whitmarsh, Keith Gillespie and Richard Irvine.
Front row are: Ben Thornley, John O' Kane, Gary Neville, David Beckham, Robbie Savage and Paul Scholes.
Robbie Savage was a member of United's famed Class of 92(Image: Mirrorpix)
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Savage may not have made the grade at United, but he went on to have a respectable Premier League career, making 362 appearances across 18 years as a professional.
Dwight McNeil
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Dwight McNeil of Crystal Palace and Ayyoub Bouaddi of Manchester City during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester City at Selhurst Park on August 28, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Dwight McNeil has enjoyed a lengthy top-flight career since leaving United
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The Rochdale-born McNeil has spent the entirety of his almost 10-year career in the top-flight. His football journey began when he joined United's academy at 5 and remained there until he was released at 14.
Within two years of his release, he had inked a two-year scholarship deal with Burnley and remained there for four years before signing for Everton in 2022 for a reported fee of £20m. After another four-year spell with the Toffees, the 26-year-old joined Crystal Palace last month in a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson move the opposite way.