According to major media reports, JJ Gabriel, a 15-year-old England under-16 international, has been involved with Manchester United's senior squad recently. He was called up to first-team training in the autumn and has taken part again this week, reportedly impressing senior players. Bryan Mbeumo, a Manchester United star, described Gabriel as "strong, the little guy is strong" and added, "He's really something, frankly...
I think he's 15. " Mbeumo noted Gabriel's technical skills, saying, "We saw him score some nice goals, he has a good shot. " Fletcher said, "He loves training, he loves playing, he loves having the ball, he loves expressing himself.
He's strong, the little guy is strong.
He makes fantastic decisions. " However, Gabriel is not eligible to play in the Premier League this season due to being 14 at the start of the campaign, which prevents his debut. He could have played in the FA Cup before Manchester United were knocked out by Brighton in January.
The exact Premier League rules that bar his participation and when he will become eligible remain unclear. Gabriel scored his 20th goal of the season at under-18 level last weekend and is currently in the U18 team at Manchester United. Fletcher emphasized his development, stating, "Fifteen-year-old, a bright future ahead of him.
He's really something, frankly... I think he's 15. You feel that he's bound to be a little kid but he trains quite a bit with us and actually you see, you can feel that the little guy has something special.
We saw him score some nice goals, he has a good shot. Technically, he's strong.
JJ is a fantastic talent. I've enjoyed working with him immensely, getting to know him.
He's a young lad with a massive sort of hype, you know there's a lot of noise around him and deservedly so because he's a real talented kid. He works hard. First thing I'd say is he loves football.
He loves training, he loves playing, he loves having the ball, he loves expressing himself. He makes fantastic decisions. He's just got an enthusiasm for the game that's just amazing.
Fifteen-year-old, a bright future ahead of him. I'm super excited by his talent, but the most important thing is that he keeps developing, and he's in the U18 team, and he's doing fantastically well, but he's still got lots to learn.