Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel is taking Cristiano Ronaldo's advice to heart, and the results are clear. The 15-year-old starlet, who made his first-team debut against Atletico Madrid on August 1, recently shared a montage of Ronaldo on Instagram, featuring the Al-Nassr star talking about the importance of mentality and self-belief.
In the video, Ronaldo says: “For me the most important thing is the mentality. Self talk positive. I think it’s all the details [sic] depend of you. We have to have the right mentality. In my mind I’m always the best. I don’t care what the people thinking, what they say. In my mind, not just this year but always, I’m always the best.”
Learning from the best
Gabriel, who turns 16 in October, is eligible for Premier League football this season. Under manager Michael Carrick, he has trained regularly with the first team and played eight minutes in the pre-season tie in Stockholm. His father, Joe O'Cearuill, has posted videos of the teenager doing strength and speed work in the gym, emulating Ronaldo's dedication.
His attitude stands in contrast to Ronaldo's criticism of some United youngsters in November 2022, when he said: “All leagues in the world, the youngest now, they are not the same as my generation. But we cannot blame them because it's part of the life, you know. The new generation and the new technologies that avoid, they distract them for another thing. But they are not the same that they listen. This is why we have two ears, as you listen from one side and they go away from another side. So it doesn't surprise me. But in the same way it's a little bit shame because if they have the best examples in front of your eyes, and if they don't at least copy what you did, for me, it's kind of weird.”
Impressing at Carrington
Gabriel has been a hit with players and staff, with those at Carrington struck by his politeness and hard work. Forward Bryan Mbeumo said: "You can feel that the little guy has something special." After winning the Premier League under-18 player of the year award in May, having scored 26 goals for the youth side, Gabriel told MUTV: "I'd say [the Academy] helped me mature a lot. They help me to be very humble and keep my feet on the ground."
Despite his rapid rise, Gabriel was left out of the squad for United's 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain last weekend, as Carrick trimmed his group following the return of players like Matheus Cunha and Kobbie Mainoo from World Cup duty. However, Carrick is aware of his potential, saying: "He's doing really well, JJ. We're always trying to give that exposure to players, for them to come and train and feel it. JJ is a big talent. It's pretty obvious to know that and he's had a really good season for the under-18s. We obviously think an awful lot of him. But patience is important in managing everything that comes with that... What he's done when he's trained he's done well, as you'd expect."
