The precociously talented winger has the ability to lead the Red Devils back to the top – if they are lucky enough to keep hold of him
From Lamine Yamal firing Spain to Euro 2024 glory while preparing for school exams, Arsenal's Max Dowman making his Premier League debut at the age of 15 and Rio Ngumoha scoring the winner for Liverpool at Newcastle while still just 16, the world's biggest clubs and international sides are becoming more and more open to the adage that 'if you're good enough, you're old enough'.
And while those players all have the capability to go on and win every prize the game has to offer, there is a belief that Manchester United might just have the very best youth player in the world on their hands and will soon be ready to unleash him into the professional game – if they are lucky enough to keep hold of him, that is.
JJ Gabriel may only be 14 years old but he has been killing it at Under-18 level and it cannot be long before he makes his first senior appearance. The winger – who has been likened to three of the best players of the last 20 years in Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo – has been causing a stir since millions of people watched him strut his stuff on a skills video when he was just eight.
Gabriel already boasts a huge online following, but any suggestions he was being over-hyped have been hushed by his mesmerising displays and his ruthless goal record in a frightening start to the season. GOAL has the lowdown on the player who was first known as 'Kid Messi' but who is fast making a name for himself…
Where it all began
Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel was born in London in October, 2010. His father, Joe O'Cearuill, enjoyed a modest playing career as a defender which began at Arsenal but was mostly spent in the lower leagues, although he did earn two caps for Ireland. O'Cearuill would go on to change the family's surname to Gabriel, a reflection of their Catholic heritage but also as a step to make his son more marketable.
Gabriel passed through the academies of Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham before eventually joining United, while a key part of his development came playing futsal, the indoor game which places extra emphasis on technique and control. Such an environment suited Gabriel, who became obsessed with doing tricks. By the age of six, he could do 1,000 kick-ups in a row.
Alfie Brooks, the owner of Ole Futsal Academy in east London, told : "I’ve coached nearly 1,000 academy players over my time and JJ is the best I’ve ever seen. He could go into a Premier League changing room right now and technically he would be better than all of them. It wouldn’t even be close. He’s by far the best player that
AdvertisementThe big break
Gabriel first gained attention courtesy of a video produced by Youtuber SV2 titled 'Eight-year-old Kid Messi is unbelievable (better than the real Lionel Messi)'. The 19-minute clip, which showcased Gabriel pulling off a variety of skills, has been viewed 4.8 million times and has 110,000 likes. His career really took off, however, when he signed for United's academy in 2021 and became friends with a famous team-mate, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
The hype train continued to roll on, and two months later Gabriel signed a contract with Nike. He penned another deal with the sports manufacturer in March 2025 which is believed to be the most lucrative sponsorship deal ever for a 14-year-old, eclipsing that of Neymar when he was at Santos.
Gabriel's feats for United's youth teams were regularly shared on social media, but he reached a new level of attention earlier this year when he became the youngest player ever to play for United's U18s side, at the age of 14. It was a debut to remember for two reasons: United humiliated rivals Leeds 13-1 and Gabriel scored the final two goals.
Getty How it's going
Gabriel has made a real impression in the U18s this season, having scored five goals in three starts. He netted twice in a 5-0 drubbing of Middlesbrough (team-mate Kai Rooney, son of Wayne, also scored), while in his next game, Gabriel bagged a 22-minute hat-trick against Derby County.
His progress is being carefully monitored by the club's top brass, and Gabriel was invited to watch the opening game of the season against Arsenal from the directors' box while he recently met first-team coach Ruben Amorim, who told the teenager that he will spend time training with the first team later in the season.
Getty Biggest strengths
Gabriel's mesmeric dribbling is his greatest asset, while his ability to produce deadly strikes with both feet makes him even more dangerous in the final third. He is a high-scoring winger who can open stubborn defences up with his trickery, but Gabriel also has a striker's instinct and often patrols the box waiting for his moment to pounce.
He is also known for his fiercely competitive nature, which has led to him playing through the pain. In one match against Blackburn Rovers, Gabriel dislocated his shoulder following a heavy clash with an opponent, only to calmly pop it back in and subsequently score a hat-trick and while also providing an assist in a 4-0 win.