Bryan Mbeumo has hinted that JJ Gabriel could flourish as a winger for Manchester United ahead of his first team debut. The 15-year-old captured attention with his goalscoring exploits last season.
Gabriel's Rise Through the Academy
He became the youngest-ever player to represent United’s U18s, aged 14, and was prolific for Darren Fletcher’s side. Gabriel scored 26 goals in 29 games across all competitions as the Reds reached the FA Youth Cup final.
Despite his tender age, Gabriel also spent time training with Michael Carrick’s first team squad last term. Premier League rules prevented the forward from making his league debut, as academy prospects must have turned 15 before the end of August to compete in that campaign.
Eligibility for First Team Action
However, Gabriel is now eligible for first team action and could make his debut in the upcoming pre-season friendly against Rosenborg on Friday. The England U17 international was not involved in the club’s recent 1-0 defeat to Wrexham but was spotted in training earlier this week.
Ahead of Gabriel potentially taking the next step in his young career, United star Mbeumo has already shared his thoughts on where the academy star could best fit into the team.
Mbeumo's Assessment
"He’s actually kind of a winger, he’s a dribbler and even in front of the box, I still think he’s good, honestly," Mbeumo told Zack En Roue Libre in March. "He’s strong, the little guy is strong. Yeah, he’s strong, he’s really something, frankly... I think he’s 15.
"You feel that he’s bound to be a little kid but he trains quite a bit with us and actually you see, you can feel that the little guy has something special."
Gabriel's Eagerness and Carrick's Patience
Gabriel is expected to travel with the United squad for their next game against Rosenborg and demonstrated his eagerness to be involved after the club’s loss to Wrexham. He wrote on Instagram: "The longer you wait for something the more you appreciate it when you get it because anything worth having is worth waiting for."
The teenager is expected to earn some minutes during pre-season as he looks to build on his rapid rise through United’s academy ranks. He is yet to make his United U21s debut but has an opportunity to test himself at senior level, though manager Michael Carrick has previously called for patience.
Discussing Gabriel’s progress last season, Carrick said: "He's doing really well, JJ. We've got some really good young players in the academy and we try and get the younger players up [with the first team] as much as we can.
"We're always trying to give that exposure to the players to come and train and feel it."
The United boss continued: "JJ is a big talent, it's pretty obvious to know that and he's had a really good season for the U18s. We obviously think an awful lot of him, but patience is important in managing everything that comes with that and working with him in development as we do with all the different younger players and picking the right moment to step up."
"What he's done when he's trained, he's done well, as you'd expect, and it's good to have the younger players come up with us."
