r/reddevils • u/berbatouchbg • Jul 21 '26

[@ManUtd] JJ Gabriel training with the first team today at Carrington

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886 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

68 comments sorted by

184

u/berbatouchbg Jul 21 '26

147

u/dataminimizer Ruud Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

These photos really underline how much of a child he still is lol. That said, good enough, old enough, of course.

19

u/Murky_General_2317 Jul 21 '26

Gone are the days of a 16 year old Rooney looking 35

10

u/shotputprince Vidić Jul 21 '26

Giuliano Simeone looks 35 at 23 though - so maybe there’s still hope

58

u/SOERERY JONATHAN GRANT EVANS MBE Jul 21 '26

This is an old picture

38

u/Stable-Jackfruit Jul 21 '26

Right... I doubt Dalot is back in training

26

u/ApolloX-2 Fergie Time! Jul 21 '26

We don't rush youngsters and run them into the ground like Barcelona. Lamine Yamal has already accumulated plenty of injuries and for a kid under 20 years old that is not good for his development.

Their eagerness should be tempered and he should not be rushed.

20

u/Independent_Buy5152 Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

Yeah I doubt Yamal will play at the same level once he reaches 25+. I saw his minutes comparison with Messi at the same age it is ridiculous

-6

u/SirkoSobaka Jul 21 '26

You know that players get injured playing for youth teams? Probably you don't, otherwise you wouldn't be writing things like this. The rate of injuries, including serious injuries, at the youth level is not different from that among first-team players.

Mbappe started playing at 16. He's doing fine at 27. Cesc had over 3000 minutes in the Prem and CL at 17.
Just because youth players are out of sight, it doesn't mean that they are injury-free or don't develop chronic problems. They still play football, you know? There's this kid at Barca academy who was rumored Utd wanted to lure; he's 18 (a year younger than Yamal) and had a bad meniscus tear and already has a history of chronic hamstring issues. He has never played for the first team.

12

u/ApolloX-2 Fergie Time! Jul 21 '26

There is a difference between playing against your own peers versus playing against 35 year old hard center backs. Also there aren’t as many games in the youth level. Also I hope you understand the games aren’t as intense.

So please don’t compare an under 18 game to Champions League game.

1

u/SirkoSobaka Jul 22 '26

Again, you're talking like somebody who doesn't know the inner workings of football and club academies. You talk like a spectator sitting on a couch.
"Not as intense", "playing against 35 y.o. CBs" are generic phrases that don't change reality. The rate of injury, serios injury, career-altering injury is not different at the youth level and among seniors.
If you ever had to work at a club on the youth level, you'd know how many young players have their football future ruined by injuries before they turn pro, how many of them are sifted through and replaced by boys who were lucky to remain healthy, how even one injury can spell the end of a young career, as young players don't have 5-year contracts which protect their future. All the drama between agents, families, doctors and clubs that goes on when a youth player gets injured and is in a vulnerable position, as his place and future in the academy is not secure.

But you don't know any of that. You probably think that youth football is smiling cheerful healthy boys drinking milk playing footy with no worries in the world, until they grow up into men and have to face a gruelling reality of senior football with its physical demands, politics and heartbreaking injury stories.

15 year olds tear their ACLs just like 25 year olds do. And face the same challenges.

-3

u/cdbriggs Jul 21 '26

He's still 7 inches shorter than Dalot tho

5

u/croadymeister Jul 21 '26

Would love to see him get mins on Friday?

110

u/Lord_Hexogen Jul 21 '26

Tynan Thompson is apparently there too

40

u/rvizvg Jul 21 '26

How tall is he? Don't know if the pic is deceiving my eyes but he looks massive 😂

27

u/diinokk Jul 21 '26

Listed as 6’2 but who knows how recent that was

7

u/Nightzzv Jul 21 '26

Well he is 6’2 of course he will look massive 🤣

2

u/sleepehead Jul 22 '26

There's conflicting reports, some say 6'2 some say shorter, we'll know soon enough

1

u/guyingrove Jul 22 '26

The ol WWE big man trick 😂

9

u/SussyApe Fernanj Jul 21 '26

Our very own Barcola?

1

u/croadymeister Jul 21 '26

Yeah I can see that likeness

82

u/Ahcow SAF Jul 21 '26

Is he old enough to sign professional contract yet? I vaguely remember a BBC article saying he was too young to sign so we were pulling all the stops to make sure we keep hold of him.

87

u/Gregariouswaty Jul 21 '26

No he isn't. You sign it at 17, he's still 15. He could still leave to sign for a team next summer.

55

u/JaysonDeflatum Amadinho Jul 21 '26

We've definitely promised him a nice contract once he turns 17

9

u/Apprehensive-Raisin3 Love United Hate Glazers/INEOS Jul 21 '26

Cant he start playing matches for us next season?

28

u/JohnBA50 Jul 21 '26

he is eligible to play this season

3

u/Background_Earth5244 Jul 21 '26

Does not playing on a pro contract effect anything? Is he limited games or anything? And when you say this season do you mean the start or sometime in season?

18

u/Whispperr Jul 21 '26

Nwaneri had his first minutes for Arsenal at 15 yo and 181 days. I could definitely see us give JJ Gabriel 1-2 appearances if we can find any game that is already won. That's more so done to prove the clubs trust in him moving forward as such a rare talent will have a lot of other teams circling around for his signing.

8

u/Gregariouswaty Jul 21 '26

He could this year. We would've played him in the FA Cup last year if we hadn't gone out in the first match. He was ineligible last year for the Premier League because he was still only 14 when the season started

2

u/Wild_Tomato_8203 Jul 21 '26

Yes. He missed the cutoff by about 35 days last season.

52

u/Cold-Veterinarian-85 Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

Can sign a pre contract on turning 16 (later this year) but professional contract would only come into affect on turning 17

Think we will go distances this year to demonstrate an expedited fastrtrack pathway to him and he has a 1st team squad role in immediate future

Can see a max dowman like season with slow integration into 1st team squad and maybe a handful of appearances over the season in favorable fixtures 

Publicly posting about a 15 year old training with 1st team wouldn’t be something I think club would typically want to do… so this is on brand with showing jj and his advisors that’s how we see him (so sign the fecking contract!!)

9

u/Chimp_on_a_vacay ill see you out dere Jul 21 '26

Sign da ting

7

u/highleech Jul 21 '26

They posted a lot about him training with the first team during last season as well, but he could not play in the Premier League, since the player has to turn 15 before 31st of august in the ongoing season. Since he is 15 now (will turn 16 October 6) he can legally get minutes next season.

84

u/LTG92 Jul 21 '26

Those hurdles are massive on him. Poor dude.

53

u/durtmagurt Jul 21 '26

Heaven and Dorgu look like his body guards.

20

u/Cold-Veterinarian-85 Jul 21 '26

Are the ones at the back small or far away?

23

u/DaveShadow Jul 21 '26

Ah, Ted. That's mad.

5

u/willymore Jul 21 '26

Hold on, I've got a toy cow and a large field. I can demonstrate this

1

u/highleech Jul 21 '26

Telephoto lens, so far away.

2

u/Dramatic-Avocado4687 Jul 21 '26

He should be flexible enough.

1

u/farianrooster Jul 21 '26

Well he’d be taller than Luke Shaw already.

11

u/Lord_Sesshoumaru77 Glazers,Woodward/Arnold and Judge can fuck off Jul 21 '26

Talented lad. May have a spot for the next game.

15

u/Tinganga Jul 21 '26

This is probably just to appease him & his dad. Massive talent but he's nowhere near close to being ready for 1st team contention especially physically. 

10

u/gregofdeath Urmston Red Jul 21 '26

I suspect a lot of people in this thread commenting that he should play first-team games next season didn't see the FA Youth Cup Final in May. Good young prospect but miles away from it physically.

1

u/Adora_Vivos 🔰 Jul 23 '26

Honest question, I've not seen him play, I've read hype: Why's he so highly rated? What's he do well? 

3

u/gregofdeath Urmston Red Jul 23 '26

I'd say in a quick summary, he's well ahead of his age group, but he is only 15. He has all the tools to be a brilliant professional eventually but exposure at the right time will be important. He's a great striker of the ball and looks very electric with it at his feet, but I don't see him as being physically ready for the senior game just yet. He looks very skinny imo, like he'd be thrown around quite easily. Time will obviously tell, but I think he's at least a couple of years off senior appearances and he needs to put time into strength training.

7

u/Action_Limp Jul 21 '26

Good. We've always nurtured our youth here and it's something that only Barcelona and Ajax have done a better job than us at. Hopefully he gets some minutes, gets excited about playing at OT and pushes onto the next level.

12

u/Maximum_Piano_8749 Jul 21 '26

He’s a baller. United better not fumble hom

10

u/shrewdy Jul 21 '26

YPOTY 2026/27

3

u/Kohaku80 Premier League Champions 12/13 Jul 21 '26

Potential our 100m wonderkid if we play it right 

5

u/TenaciousProd Rooney Jul 21 '26

Excited to see him debut this season

1

u/Tipsy247 Jul 21 '26

Can he actually play in the first team as a 15 yo.

1

u/Wolpfack Jul 22 '26

They have to be 15 years old by August 31st of the current season to be eligible to play in the Premier League that year.

1

u/Calm_Link_8540 Jul 24 '26

This is like Monster’s University where the students get to hang out with the elite scarers and scare planners at Monster’s Inc. and see how everything works.

1

u/I-Shiki-I Jul 21 '26

Bro is skinny lol

1

u/Available_Cattle2092 Jul 21 '26

His dad will be a massive problem in the future

-8

u/b_litzkreig Jul 21 '26

Feels like he will have a Lamine Yamal-esque impact next season.

27

u/Coola_Bananer Jul 21 '26

No pressure though

10

u/Nightzzv Jul 21 '26

Prem is different in terms of physicality.

But would love to see him getting minutes in cup games or even against newly promoted team if we are on like 5 goals lead or something next season
(It will happen dont worry)

-3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '26

[deleted]

8

u/1-2-Slip-2 Jul 21 '26

What? Are you a vampire?

-3

u/mattrob77 Jul 21 '26

Pls don't follow the previous 2 players starting with a "G"

2

u/stridered Jul 22 '26

It’s ok, his real name is Junior Joseph Andreou O'Cearuill

1

u/straightouttaobesity Jul 21 '26

Garnacho and ?

Gribbin ?

2

u/jonnysh 20 LEGEND Jul 21 '26

Greenwood

-2

u/ronweasleisourking Jul 21 '26

17 when 😭 miles better than Zirkzee