Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel has seemingly confirmed the next chapter in his career, with plans for him to join the club's pre-season tour. The 15-year-old has established himself as one of the finest young talents in the country, having netted 23 goals in 23 league matches for the Under-18s this season.
Social media hint
Following defeat in the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, Gabriel took to Instagram to address his latest award while hinting at a likely place in United's pre-season squad. He wrote: "It's a great honour to be awarded the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the year. Thank you to everyone at @manutd. I'd also like to thank all the fans for their continued support," before rounding off the post with: "See you in pre-season."
The Manchester Evening News previously revealed how United are eager to carve out a pathway to the first team for the forward, and bringing him along on the tour will highlight the confidence they have in his abilities.
First-team exposure
The youngster's outstanding performances on the academy scene have already seen him train alongside the first-team on several occasions. Interim manager Michael Carrick, who is set to put pen to paper on a two-year permanent deal, has spoken glowingly about Gabriel's enormous potential after attending a number of youth fixtures.
Carrick said in March: "He is not allowed [to be part of a first-team squad on a matchday]. He's too young. JJ's doing really well. We've got some really good players in the academy and we try and get the younger players up [with the main group] as much as we can. We're always trying to give them that exposure. JJ is a big talent, it is pretty obvious and he has had a good season for U18s. We think an awful lot of him. But patience is important in managing everything that comes with that and developing him and picking the right moment to step up."
He added: "He's trained well and it is good to have young players up."
Age restrictions
Many had anticipated Gabriel making the step up to Under-21 level this season, but that prospect was also ruled out as he was just 14 when the campaign kicked off. United faced the threat of a fine had he featured in the U21 side owing to the stringent age regulations.
Pre-season schedule
United's pre-season schedule gets underway with a match against Wrexham in Finland on July 18, followed by a trip to Norway to take on Swedish outfit Rosenborg. Atletico Madrid are next up for the Red Devils as they conclude their Scandinavian tour in Sweden on August 1.
This summer's World Cup presents further openings for United's emerging talent, with a significant number of first-team squad members expected to receive international call-ups from their respective nations.
