Manchester United supporters didn’t get to see JJ Gabriel in Premier League action this season, but plenty turned up to watch him live: 2,516 fans saw him play in the 3-2 FA Youth Cup win over Sunderland and many queued for selfies afterwards.
Gabriel only turned 15 in October and so remains ineligible for Premier League competitions this season under the rule that players must be 15 by 31 August (effectively meaning they are in Year 11). Still a Year 10 at school and physically smaller than many team-mates and opponents, he nonetheless manages to stand out for his technique and imagination.
The victory that booked United an Old Trafford semi-final against Crystal Palace — and a meeting with the same side in the Premier League Under-18 Cup final at Selhurst Park next month — wasn’t Gabriel’s best performance, but it included several high-quality moments. He produced a first-time lay-off to Chido Obi that should have led to a goal, delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Junior Brown for the winner, and produced a clever two-footed turn that opened up a shooting chance late on. Small flashes like those explain why his name drew the loudest cheer at kick-off and why fans surrounded
