Michael Carrick has confirmed that highly-rated academy prospect JJ Gabriel is too young to make his Manchester United debut, but said the club have high hopes for the teenage forward.
Gabriel, 15, has scored 20 goals in 22 games for United’s Under-18s this season.
He has occasionally trained with Carrick’s first-team squad, but cannot make a senior appearance in the Premier League because he was only 14 when the current campaign began.
“He’s not allowed, he’s too young,” Carrick told a news conference on Friday when asked whether Gabriel could be included in a matchday squad before the end of the season.
“He’s doing really well, JJ. We’ve got some really good young players in the academy and we try and get the younger players up [with the first-team] as much as we can.
“We’re always trying to give that exposure to the players to come and train and feel it.”
Arsenal pair Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman, and Leicester’s Jeremy Monga have all played in the Premier League aged 15.
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Angel Gomes is United’s youngest Premier League player after making his debut as a 16-year-old under Jose Mourinho in 2017. Gabriel will turn 16 in October.
“JJ is a big talent, it’s pretty obvious to know that and he’s had a really good season for the U18s,” Carrick said.
“We obviously think an awful lot of him, but patience is important in managing everything that comes with that and working with him in development as we do with all the different younger players and picking the right moment to step up.
“What he’s done when he’s trained, he’s done well as you’d expect and it’s good to have the younger players come up with us.”
