JJ Gabriel made his first senior Manchester United appearance on Saturday, coming off the bench to play the final eight minutes of the 2-1 pre-season win over Atletico Madrid in Stockholm. The 15-year-old replaced Bryan Mbeumo, who had scored twice to complete the comeback.
Gabriel was the main talking point after manager Michael Carrick brought him on late on, with excitement around the young forward having built following 26 goals in 26 games in the Under-18 Premier League last season.
Praise from Amad and Yoro
Amad sent a message to Gabriel on Instagram after the full-time whistle. "More to come little bro," he wrote, in a post re-shared by Gabriel himself.
United defender Leny Yoro also praised the teenager. "He's a really good player," he said. "Still really young, still a lot to learn, a lot to improve. He's really humble, still working, so I'm happy for him to get his first minutes, so I hope for him it's going to continue like that."
Yoro, who made his debut for Lille aged 16 and joined United for £52million as the most expensive player under 18 in football history two years ago, offered advice as well. "I can see myself," he added. "[I would say] stay humble, just want to work, and this is what we need in the team, even for the young guys. They're all doing really well, and JJ is one of them, so I hope he's going to learn a lot, continue like that, improve, yeah. But he's really good, a good player."
Academy prospects take their chance
Gabriel trained with the first team last season and will hope that Carrick's presence as manager can aid his progression in the 2026/27 campaign. With some senior players yet to return following the World Cup, there has been a youthful look to the United team in pre-season, with Gabriel one of a number of academy players hoping to catch the eye.
Shea Lacey started and won the penalty which Mbeumo converted to make it 1-1, while Jack Fletcher - a half-time substitute for Amad - intercepted the ball and provided the assist for the Cameroon international's winner.
Carrick was happy with what he saw from the mix of young and experienced players. "The spirit and the camaraderie is so important for the team, it's great to see the boys getting on so naturally and enjoying each other's company," he told MUTV. "Collectively we looked strong as a team, which is always the most important thing, and individual performances seeing the young players come on to have an impact."
