- Manchester United reach FA Youth Cup final
- Reds beat Crystal Palace 2-1
- JJ Gabriel steals the show
JJ Gabriel is clearly ready to explode next season as he played a crucial role in Manchester United U18’s reaching the FA Youth Cup final last night. The English attacker is the most highly-rated teenage prospect at Old Trafford.
The 15-year-old’s stock continues to grow with each outing, and he was on the scoresheet in United’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. He has yet to make his senior debut, but if he keeps on performing the way he is, he’ll give whoever is in charge no choice.
Gabriel put the Reds in front in the 77th minute with a fine finish to complete a superb attacking move from Darren Fletcher’s side. But Palace equalised through Raihaan Anderson just two minutes later to send the game to extra time.
Gabriel Stars as Man United Advance
Chido Obi came to the fore in the 117th minute, bagging the winner to send United’s U18’s to the FA Youth Cup final. The Danish frontman who set up Gabriel for the opener did superbly well to round the Palace goalkeeper and find the back of the net.
It means the young Red Devils will meet Manchester City in a Manchester derby in the final on May 9th. Fletcher will be eager for Gabriel to keep up his impressive form as he knocks on the first team door.
Gabriel took his tally for the season to 22 goals and four assists in 25 games across competitions. He put in another electric display last night at Old Trafford and it’s just more evidence that he needs to be in the senior squad next season.
The 14-year-old doesn’t look fazed by the noise surrounding his meteoric rise, which draws comparisons to Max Dowman at Arsenal. He is showing he is only focused on his football, and it will be tough for any manager to resist using him at the senior level next season.
Gabriel didn’t finish last night’s game due to an injury, and he came off in the second half of extra time. But his role in the win can’t be understated, and he is close to guiding Fletcher’s side to the FA Youth Cup trophy.
A Senior Debut on Horizon
Reports claim that Gabriel is in line to make his first-team debut next season and that could come in a cup competition. He appears to be following the same path as Arsenal’s Dowman who has become a regular in Mikel Arteta’s senior squad at just 16.
United need to show its pathway to the first team and hand him an outing in a cup. There are plenty of clubs eyeing the England U17 international, including Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Gabriel is reportedly set to be included in the pre-season squad, which sees the Reds face the likes of Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. That could be ideal preparation for the wonderkid to play against some of the top talent in the game today.
There’s no ignoring his potential, and with two hat-tricks to his name this season, he continues to make headline news. He should be presented as the future of the club under whoever takes over permanently, whether that be Michael Carrick, fellow frontrunner Julian Nagelsmann or anyone else.
