A Manchester United academy starlet has sent fans of the club into a frenzy after scoring an remarkable solo effort.
JJ Gabriel featured for United’s u18s as they faced Watford on Friday, despite still being two months away from his 15th birthday.
The 14-year-old has been dubbed ‘Kid Messi’ by United supporters for his incredible technical skills on the ball and his latest strike shows all the hallmarks of the genius Argentine.
In a clip that has since been widely circulated online, Gabriel receives the ball in the middle of a crowded penalty area.
The wonderkid then proceeds to effortlessly skip past three defenders before slotting the ball past the goalkeeper with an assured finish from close range.
Gabriel’s goal quickly made waves on social media, with fans anointing the teenager as the next great talent to have been produced by the club’s famous Carrington academy.
Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel, 14, netted a stunning goal for the club’s under-18s
Gabriel skipped past three defenders before netting from close range in a 6-1 win over Watford
One wrote: ‘Boy is he a special player. Long may he stay at UTD and continue to develop well. 14 year old playing so comfortably with the U18s’
Another agreed: ‘Body swerve into a roulette into a flip-flap before finishing. All in the space of ~2 secs while surrounded by 4 players in the box.
‘Goodness me, his processing speed is off the charts at just 14. I now get why people are saying he’s our answer to Lamine lol.’
‘Protect this kid at all costs,’ a third added.
Fellow United academy prospect Edward Ibrovic-Fletcher also netted a brace in the 6-1 win.
Gabriel’s latest goal comes just weeks after he was issued a senior squad number by United and reportedly made history in the process.
In a recent image Gabriel was pictured smiling with his thumbs up in United shorts and T-shirt in the picture with his squad number of 95 emblazoned on his gear.
And, according to Transfermarkt, that is the highest squad number in history handed out to a United player.
United supporters on social media compared the burgeoning talent with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal
Gabriel was recently handed a senior squad number after agreeing a new deal at United
The previous record was held by Godwill Kunoki, a 17-year-old centre back, who wore the No 87 in 2024-25 and remains on the club’s books.
Mail Sport exclusively reported last month how Gabriel – who has already represented England at youth level – is set to sign a new deal with the club despite interest from several major European teams, including United’s rivals.
Red Devils’ director of football Jason Wilcox and director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves are said to have made a crucial intervention in the last week to persuade the teenager to remain in the north west.
The wonderkid, whose full name is Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel, honed his technique with the close confines and smaller ball of a futsal court.
There is considerable hype surrounding Gabriel, and Alfie Brooks, owner of Ole Futsal and Gabriel’s specialist one-to-one coach, claimed he is already capable of stepping into a Premier League dressing room.
‘When he first started training, [his competitiveness] was the standout attribute,’ Brooks previously told Mail Sport’s Nathan Salt.
‘I’ve coached nearly 1,000 academy players over my time – four of them in Josh Nichols (Arsenal), Josh Acheampong (Chelsea), Sydie Peck (Sheffield United) and Tyrique George (Chelsea) have made their senior debuts – and JJ is the best I’ve ever seen.
