Man Utd's 15-Year-Old JJ Gabriel Joins First-Team Training

Manchester United's 15-year-old academy prospect JJ Gabriel has been included in first-team training sessions this week, continuing to impress coaches despite being ineligible for a Premier League debut this season due to age restrictions.

The teenager, born on October 6, 2010, participated in Thursday's session at the Carrington training ground as interim manager Michael Carrick prepared the squad for Sunday's Premier League match against Aston Villa. Gabriel, who turned 15 last month, has been a regular in senior training throughout the campaign, catching the attention of staff with his performances for the Under-18s. He has scored 20 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions this season, including a brace in last week's Under-18 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest that placed him at the top of the scoring charts.

Premier League rules, outlined in Rule L.22 of the handbook, require players to be at least in Year 11 of the British school system to feature in senior squads, corresponding to an age of around 15 or 16 depending on birthdates. Gabriel, currently in Year 10, falls short of this threshold and cannot play until the start of the 2026-27 season. Carrick...