JJ Gabriel: Man Utd's 14-year-old 'Kid Messi' who is growing up fast and on the Lamine Yamal path to superstardom

Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel was born in London in October, 2010. His father, Joe O'Cearuill, enjoyed a modest playing career as a defender which began at Arsenal but was mostly spent in the lower leagues, although he did earn two caps for Ireland. O'Cearuill would go on to change the family's surname to Gabriel, a reflection of their Catholic heritage but also as a step to make his son more marketable.

Gabriel passed through the academies of Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham before eventually joining United, while a key part of his development came playing futsal, the indoor game which places extra emphasis on technique and control. Such an environment suited Gabriel, who became obsessed with doing tricks. By the age of six, he could do 1,000 kick-ups in a row. 

Alfie Brooks, the owner of Ole Futsal Academy in east London, told the Daily Mail: "I’ve coached nearly 1,000 academy players over my time and JJ is the best I’ve ever seen. He could go into a Premier League changing room right now and technically he would be better than all of them. It wouldn’t even be close. He’s by far the best player that

Gabriel first gained attention courtesy of a video produced by Youtuber SV2 titled 'Eight-year-old Kid Messi is unbelievable (better than the real Lionel Messi)'. The 19-minute clip, which showcased Gabriel pulling off a variety of skills, has been viewed 4.8 million times and has 110,000 likes. His career really took off, however, when he signed for United's academy in 2021 and became friends with a famous team-mate, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. 

The hype train continued to roll on, and two months later Gabriel signed a contract with Nike. He penned another deal with the sports manufacturer in March 2025 which is believed to be the most lucrative sponsorship deal ever for a 14-year-old, eclipsing that of Neymar when he was at Santos. 

Gabriel's feats for United's youth teams were regularly shared on social media, but he reached a new level of attention earlier this year when he became the youngest player ever to play for United's U18s side, at the age of 14. It was a debut to remember for two reasons: United humiliated rivals Leeds 13-1 and Gabriel scored the final two goals.

Gabriel has made a real impression in the U18s this season, having scored five goals in three starts. He netted twice in a 5-0 drubbing of Middlesbrough (team-mate Kai Rooney, son of Wayne, also scored), while in his next game, Gabriel bagged a 22-minute hat-trick against Derby County.

His progress is being carefully monitored by the club's top brass, and Gabriel was invited to watch the opening game of the season against Arsenal from the directors' box while he recently met first-team coach Ruben Amorim, who told the teenager that he will spend time training with the first team later in the season. 

Gabriel's mesmeric dribbling is his greatest asset, while his ability to produce deadly strikes with both feet makes him even more dangerous in the final third. He is a high-scoring winger who can open stubborn defences up with his trickery, but Gabriel also has a striker's instinct and often patrols the box waiting for his moment to pounce.

He is also known for his fiercely competitive nature, which has led to him playing through the pain. In one match against Blackburn Rovers, Gabriel dislocated his shoulder following a heavy clash with an opponent, only to calmly pop it back in and subsequently score a hat-trick and while also providing an assist in a 4-0 win.

There are no clear weaknesses in Gabriel's game, and since he has been building towards this career since he was a child, he works hard to improve all aspects of his game. To take one example, he practised penalties with Marcus Rashford at Carrington before the England striker left on loan for Aston Villa.

Gabriel will obviously need to improve his physique as he approaches the senior ranks, but that should prove no problem as he already operates like a professional, following a strict diet and fitness regime. And given that he has been playing several categories above his own age for a number of years, taking the next step should not be an issue when the moment arrives.

Although Gabriel was compared to Messi in that first video where he made his name, his style of play is more similar to other Barcelona players past and present. His dribbling is reminiscent of a young Neymar, another player who was justifiably hyped up as a child all the way to making his debut for Santos and then moving to Barca in 2013.

However, the modern example for Gabriel to follow is Yamal, who made his Barca debut one month after his 16th birthday and became a European champion with Spain the day after his 17th. Both players play with a similar sense of freedom and daring, possessing a rare ability to dance past defenders with their silky footwork and score with remarkable consistency.

And just as Yamal has spearheaded Barcelona's return to being one of the top teams in Europe, United fans are crossing their fingers that Gabriel can have the same impact and lead the Red Devils' long-awaited revival.

Gabriel will be looking to build on his ferocious early-season form for the U18s, and if he continues at his current rate then his first training sessions with the senior United squad will surely follow soon. There is even an outside chance of him making his debut for Amorim's side before the season ends, meaning he would follow Arsenal duo Ethan Nwaneri and Dowman in making his Premier League bow while still 15.

United need to be careful about how they treat this generational talent, however, as top sides from around Europe already know all about him. Gabriel could move elsewhere when he is 16 and, unlike other English players, can also be targeted by teams outside of Britain because he holds an EU passport through his father's Irish heritage. Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all said to be interested in taking him off United's hands, as are local rivals Manchester City.

Gabriel has the world at his feet and can effectively choose his own destination; it's up to United to do everything to convince him that Old Trafford is the best place for Gabriel to not only continue his development but to plot his path towards global superstardom. And for that to happen, the first team will need to make massive improvements. The ball, therefore, is in Amorim's court.