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Manchester United’s JJ Gabriel continued his meteoric rise with a hat-trick this week in the Floodlit Cup.
Going by JJ, the young starlet’s full name is Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel and he is considered of the most highly rated youngsters at the club.
Only recently turning 14, the youngster regularly plays above his age group, on this occasion shining for the u15s in a 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.
The cup competition was introduced in recent years to give young players experience playing at night under the lights, an alternative to their usual Saturday morning matches.
The forward has been excelling in the academy and this progress saw him promoted to u18s training recently. He was included in the travelling squad for the u18s Premier League Cup final last year to take in the occasion.
A gifted dribbler with the ball, Gabriel is comfortable playing across the front line.
Gabriel took part in the u16s tour of Hong Kong in the summer where he scored two goals in two games. He earned the MVP award for the second match.
JJ Gabriel! 2 goals in 2 in Hong Kong and pulls out the Garnacho celebration #MUFC #MUAcademy pic.twitter.com/5TsSpxjq6q
— RedYouthUnited (@RedYouthUnited) August 11, 2024
The award was presented to him on the pitch by former United player Dimitar Berbatov who attended the trip in an ambassadorial role.
The trophy room is already filling up for the 14 year old, who was a key part of the u16s Premier League National Shield win at the weekend and provided the match winner in last year’s u14s Albert Phelan Cup North.
The level of performance suggests that despite his age, Gabriel may be fast-tracked to make an appearance for the u18s this season.
Gabriel has gained widespread attention for his videos online, earning him the comparison to Messi.
The Barcelona connection doesn’t stop there though, as Gabriel spent time in the summer in Barcelona, where he was invited for a tour of the Nou Camp and gifted a signed Lamine Yamal shirt as he met the Barcelona squad.
The trip has caused some worry amongst fans that Barcelona will come calling in a few years but as of now United will be making their case as the best club for his development with a tailored program that is seeing him fast tracked through the age groups.
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