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The 14-year-old Gabriel scored and earned three assists in his side’s commendable 6-2 victory over arch-rivals in a stunning showing.
JJ Gabriel. (X)
Nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’, Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel had a memorable match for his Under-16 side against Manchester City last weekend. Gabriel scored and earned three assists in his side’s commendable 6-2 victory. Having undergone a minor shoulder surgery in October, the teenager made a prolific return to action. Gabriel’s performances and videos of his impressive training have already triggered a buzz and the 14-year-old is soon expected to make his debut in Under-18s fixtures.
Gabriel had won the Most Valuable Player award at a U16 competition in Hong Kong in August and he was presented with an accolade by former Manchester United footballer Dimitar Berbatov. He had reportedly scored two goals and bagged an assist in Manchester United’s two matches in the competition.
A report published by Manchester Evening News claimed that JJ Gabriel had recently thanked Marcus Rashford for taking penalties with him at Carrington before the forward completed his loan move to Aston Villa for the remainder of the season. Gabriel even received a “get well soon video” from Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana when he was recovering from his shoulder injury.
In October last year, JJ Gabriel was promoted to train with the U18s at Manchester United. Coaches have been “blown away by Gabriel’s talent” and they have decided to make him part of the training group in a bid to assess the youngster’s potential against comparatively older footballers.
Manchester United will next host Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round. This will mark van Nistelrooy’s return to Old Trafford for the first time having left his role as assistant manager following Ruben Amorim’s appointment. Manchester United recently completed the signing of defenders Patrick Dorgu and 18-year-old Ayden Heaven.
Manchester United have had to deal with another injury setback as Lisandro Martinez is set for another long spell away from competitive games. The club confirmed that he has endured a cruciate ligament injury. Martinez’s previous season was also marred by injury as he was out of action due to knee ligament damage and a foot problem.
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United Kingdom (UK)
