Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel could make his first team debut for the club in Friday's pre-season friendly against Rosenborg. The 15-year-old has joined the likes of Harry Maguire and Bryan Mbeumo in a squad packed with senior talent in Norway.
Gabriel is unsurprisingly the youngest member of the squad but fans expect him to more than hold his own. This is, in part, due to the glowing praise he has received from multiple coaches at Old Trafford.
Carrick and Fletcher praise
Manager Michael Carrick has given the teenager a chance to train with the senior squad in the past. Were it not for Premier League rules, Gabriel might have emulated the likes of Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri in playing top-flight football before his 16th birthday.
Former caretaker boss Darren Fletcher has similarly had big things to say about a player who bagged 23 goals in the Under-18 Premier League last season. Carrick and Fletcher aren't the only ones, either.
Academy head's view
Head of academy Stephen Torpey joined United in 2025 and was clearly excited. "We have some special talents right now in our groups, and JJ is one of those, for sure," Torpey said.
In March, Carrick admitted Gabriel wasn't allowed to play Premier League football but that didn't stop his glowing account of the youngster. "JJ is a big talent, it's pretty obvious to know that and he's had a really good season for the Under-18s," said the manager, who has since been installed on a permanent basis.
"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," Carrick continued. "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."
Fletcher's assessment
Fletcher, who has worked with Gabriel at Under-18s level, has perhaps unsurprisingly been blown away by the talent. He suggested the player would have been ready for first-team football last season had such a thing been permitted, also indicating in May that a pre-season opportunity was unlikely to faze him.
"JJ's an amazing talent and has an enthusiasm for football that he brings to the pitch every day: to learn, to want to play and be on the ball," the Scot told The Athletic. "He's been a pleasure to work with. He's a fantastic kid."
He also suggested United planned to be careful when it comes to the teenager's first-team exposure, adding: "Once you get thrown in there, you're judged very, very quickly, rightly or wrongly. It's important that we do right by his development.
"JJ's more than capable to go in, as are a lot of our young players. They all get experiences with the first team. It goes under the radar how many of our young players get tastes of the first team."
Gabriel is not the only teenager in the squad set to face Rosenborg, though he is the youngest of the bunch. Several others have already had a taste of senior football, including 18-year-old striker Chido Obi and Fletcher's 19-year-old twin sons Jack and Tyler.
