Manchester United academy sensation JJ Gabriel shined for the Under-18s in their 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Carrington on Saturday afternoon.
After securing a 1-0 win over Everton’s youngsters last weekend, Manchester United’s U18s side continued their strong start to the season this weekend.
Darren Fletcher once again named a very youthful side for his second competitive game in charge of the young squad, and JJ Gabriel started once again.
Gabriel, 14, made his debut for the U18s in April and scored a late brace in a thumping 13-1 win over Leeds. He made two more appearances before the end of the season and scored again against Stoke City.
The young forward is one of the most exciting talents in United’s academy set-up right now and has earned attention from first-team boss Rúben Amorim.
Gabriel shines in new role under Fletcher
After winning the penalty that Amir Ibragimov scored against Everton, Gabriel had a different role in the clash with Middlesbrough. Instead of playing on the left wing, he operated centrally as a false-nine until Wayne Rooney’s son, Kai, was introduced midway through the second half.
These kinds of position changes are not surprising at this level, with the main aim for the coaches being player development, and they likely wanted to see how Gabriel can perform when receiving the ball with his back to goal and without the space afforded on the flanks.
He passed that test with flying colours, scoring twice from inside the area, and both were the kind of finishes you expect from a striker. The first came as he reacted quickest to a rebound, and the second was a fierce left-footed shot following a sharp turn inside the box, with United winning the tie 5-0.
This all comes just after reports emerged that the 14-year-old had a meeting with Amorim earlier in the week. He is set to train with the first team on occasion this season in what seems to be a clear effort from United to show him a pathway.
Part of his development will be rounding out different kinds of skills, which is why he played upfront for the Under-18s, and he looks ready to take that challenge on.
Academy physicality part of a long-term plan
While many of these players, such as Gabriel, Rooney, and Ibragimov, are already playing above or at their age level, it is clear some of them are both technically and physically ready to play even a level up, at the U21s level.
Over the last half-decade, United’s first-team has consistently looked physically behind their peers, a point often made by players such as Amorim, Harry Maguire, and Luke Shaw during pre-season.
However, with the new Academy set up, initially created by Nick Cox before Stephen Torpey was appointed as the club’s new Director of Academy earlier this week, United looks to be addressing this issue from within.
Sometimes, when Academy graduates make their first-team debuts, they do not appear physically ready for senior, Premier League football and have to spend time on loan in the Championship or lower in the English football pyramid to develop before having a shot at Old Trafford.
However, suppose United can continue the physical and technical development of these players. In that case, Amorim may have a fantastic supply line of hungry and ready young talent to complement his first team in the years to come.
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