JJ Gabriel’s Man Utd promotion delayed as teen rips it up for the under-18s | Football | Sport

Manchester United are not playing JJ Gabriel in the Under-21s this season – because he was 14 when the campaign started. Gabriel has been in outstanding form at Under-18 level, and supporters have wondered why the promising teenager hasn’t been handed opportunities in the more senior age group.

And the explanation is that United risked being fined for selecting Gabriel in the U21 side due to his age at the start of the season, so it was determined beforehand that he would play solely for the U18s this year. United are nurturing Gabriel by promoting him to first-team training sessions more frequently. The gifted prospect only turned 15 in October. Gabriel might have already featured in a first-team Premier League matchday squad this season had the regulations been different.

Because Gabriel was 14 when the campaign began, he is ineligible to appear in the Premier League, though the FA Cup permits teenagers to participate.

Unfortunately for the player, United were eliminated from the FA Cup by Brighton in their opening match. Darren Fletcher was in caretaker charge for that fixture, and he was questioned whether Gabriel could feature during the build-up.

Fletcher grinned, saying: “Well, he could be, but he’s not going to be because obviously anybody could be picked. But JJ is a fantastic talent. I’ve enjoyed working with him immensely, getting to know him.

“He’s a young lad with a massive sort of hype, you know there’s a lot of noise around him and deservedly so because he’s a real talented kid. He works hard. First thing I’d say is he loves football.

“He loves training, he loves playing, he loves having the ball, he loves expressing himself. He makes fantastic decisions. “He’s just got an enthusiasm for the game that’s just amazing.

“15-year-old, a bright future ahead of him. I’m super excited by his talent, but the most important thing is that he keeps developing, and he’s in the U18 team, and he’s doing fantastically well, but he’s still got lots to learn.

“The world is his oyster and he just needs to go on his journey and his time will come in due course. But for just now, it’s a little bit early I think, and I think a lot of people would agree with me.”

Gabriel has netted 20 times in 22 outings across the U18’s competitions this campaign.