Man Utd Welcome 15-Year-Old ‘Kid Messi’ to Senior Training

Highly rated 15-year-old prospect JJ Gabriel was invited to join in with Manchester United’s first-team training this week, it has been revealed.

Dubbed ‘Kid Messi’, the young forward, who only recently celebrated his 15th birthday, is widely hailed as one of the most exciting talents in world football. United recently fought off competition from a number of rivals to keep Gabriel and remain in negotiations over a longer-term contract.

Part of United’s plan for Gabriel, who has seven goals in just six appearances for United’s Under-18s this season, is to expose him to Ruben Amorim’s senior side, and that began on Thursday when he featured in a 11 vs. 11 friendly in first-team training.

Reports have claimed Amorim has taken a liking to Gabriel, regularly reviewing the youngster’s academy performances as part of United’s ongoing attempts to prove to the teenager that he should remain at Old Trafford.

Those efforts of persuasion saw Gabriel invited to the director’s box to watch the game against Arsenal earlier this season.

Can JJ Gabriel Play for Man Utd?

Gabriel’s stunning form at academy level, where he plays well above his age group, has seen many call for the teenager to be given a chance in the first team, with comparisons to the likes of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and, more recently, Max Dowman of Arsenal.

Crucially, however, Premier League regulations forbid Gabriel from making a senior appearance this season and he is simply too young.

All Premier League players must have turned 15 by August 2025 in order to be eligible, and Gabriel missed that deadline by just two months.

He will, therefore, only be eligible to play for United’s senior side from the beginning of the 2026–27 campaign, at which point clubs from across the globe will likely be working to try and convince Gabriel to take his talents elsewhere.

The pathway United can present to Gabriel will be crucial to his next contract situation, with the teenager free to take his talents wherever he wants at minimal cost to any potential employers.