Only 15, and already in the Manchester United senior squad: Watch the diamond's performance

At Manchester United, they are used to talking about young homegrown players, but even in a club that prides itself on a glorious tradition of nurturing talent, it is not every day that they add a child who has not yet celebrated his 16th birthday to the senior squad. JJ Gabriel, one of the most talked-about names in English football at his age, has been included in Michael Carrick's squad for the preparation match against Rosenborg in Norway (19:00 Israel time), and may record his first appearance for the senior team.

Gabriel will only turn 16 on October 6, but he has already managed to become one of the most prominent talents in the United academy. Last season, he scored 29 goals in 32 appearances in all youth competitions, helped the team reach the FA Youth Cup final and the U18 Premier League Cup final, and was voted the youth team's player of the season. He was the youngest in the academy's history to win the award.

The first exposure to him outside of the academy staff came in April 2025. United thrashed Leeds 13:1 in a youth league match: Victor Musa scored six goals, but it was the 14-and-a-half-year-old who came on for the last 25 minutes who stole the headlines. Gabriel scored a brace, displayed speed, balance, ball control, and the ability to change direction, and from that moment on, they began to talk about him as one of the most intriguing talents of his generation.

In the following season, he became the central player of the youth team. For most of the season, it seemed he would finish as the league's top scorer, before Teddy Lamb from Manchester City overtook him in the final rounds. Even so, Gabriel's numbers were exceptional for a player of his age, especially considering he played against opponents who were two years older than him, and sometimes even more.

He grew up in London, joined the Manchester United system in 2022, and has progressed rapidly since then. Football director Jason Wilcox was personally involved in the attempt to convince him to stay at the club last summer, amid interest from other teams, including Barcelona. The club understands well that the fight for the best young talents in England and Europe has become a central part of the rebuilding process.

Gabriel usually plays as a left winger and tends to cut inside with the ball, but during the last season, the coaching staff began to use him as a number 10 as well. The move was intended not only to develop his ability to manage the game but also to keep him away from constant battles against defenders who are bigger and stronger than him. Despite his slender build, he managed to have a significant impact against older players thanks to his technical ability, acceleration, and confidence in one-on-one situations.

During the summer, he worked on strengthening his body and adding muscle mass, understanding that the transition to senior football would require him to deal with a completely different pace and physicality. United staff are carefully monitoring his development and trying not to accelerate the process. Gabriel has already trained with the senior team under Ruben Amorim and continued to receive opportunities even after Michael Carrick was appointed to the position.

"JJ is a great talent, that's quite clear," Carrick said of him. "He had an excellent season in the youth team and we value him very much. However, patience is an important thing. You have to choose the right moment to move him up a level, but every time he trained with us, he did a good job."

Even off the pitch, one can understand how much United believes in him. During last season, he was invited several times to the directors' box at Old Trafford, and even met Sir Alex Ferguson after the draw against West Ham in December. The figure that best illustrates the pace of his progress is the fact that he has already played and scored in the Youth Cup at a younger age than legendary figures in United's history such as Duncan Edwards, Eddie Colman, and Ryan Giggs.

If he is played against Rosenborg, Gabriel will become one of the youngest players to wear the senior team's jersey. The club record in an official match belongs to goalkeeper David Gaskell, who made his debut in 1956 at the age of 16 and 19 days. The preparation match in Norway will not change the official record, but an appearance in it will give the coaching staff the first opportunity to test how Gabriel handles adult opponents.

United intends to decide on his match plan according to his performance against Rosenborg and how he handles senior training, especially when the team's players who participated in the World Cup begin to return gradually. He is still expected to spend a significant part of the season in youth frameworks, but now it is clear that the road to the first team no longer seems as far as one might have thought.