Carrick blown away by JJ Gabriel’s ridiculous talent as he makes stunning confession to his coaches – report

Unlike Ruben Amorim, caretaker head coach Michael Carrick seems to be a big fan of Manchester United’s famed academy. The former head coach hardly ever attended academy games, but that is not the case with the former midfield legend. He has been a regular at both U21 and U18 games, and as per Givemesport, one academy sensation has caught his eye. JJ Gabriel, who is only 15, already has 15 goals and two assists this season. And Carrick was there to witness his magic first-hand a couple of days ago. JJ Gabriel has been on fire His stunner from an acute angle against Wolverhampton Wanderers U18s drew applause from all watching, including the former England international. Despite his meteoric rise, JJ Gabriel is not eligible to make his Premier League debut this season, hence why Carrick has refrained from throwing him into the deep end. He has reportedly told his coaches that if the Red Devils were alive in the FA Cup, the England U16 international would have earned his first team debut by now. “Although his focus is the first team and targeting Champions League football, it’s believed Michael Carrick has taken a personal interest in United’s Under-18 team. Carrick is a fan “Carrick made the journey to Oxford to see United reach the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals in style with a 4-1 win. “While JJ Gabriel caught Carrick’s eye with a fine goal, it’s believed Carrick has no immediate plans to promote the 15-year-old to the first team squad just yet. “Carrick is thought to have told staff at Carrington that if United had still been in the FA Cup he’d have thought hard about some involvement for Gabriel.” Amorim was also a fan, with the former head coach calling JJ Gabriel up for senior training on a number of occasions. Senior debut only a matter of time Should United qualify for the Champions League next season, they will be expected to play a lot more games, and chances for academy graduates are bound to increase. It is only a matter of time before Old Trafford gets to witness JJ Gabriel’s magic for the first team. Feature image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25