Man Utd waiting game for JJ Gabriel as 15-year-old ‘Kid Messi’ is told by Red Devils legend Andy Cole that competitive debut ‘might not be this season’

Keeping a lid on Gabriel’s potential has become virtually impossible, with excitement having built steadily around him for some time. Those keeping a close eye on the academy ranks at Old Trafford have known for a while that another special talent is ready to drop off the production line.

The hottest of prospects has already been billed as ‘Kid Messi’, which is not doing him any favours, but he will need to learn quickly how to deal with the weight of expectation being lumped onto his young shoulders.

Gabriel did step off the bench in a pre-season clash with Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, becoming the youngest player to feature for United in an unofficial match. He was prevented from making his debut last term by Premier League regulations.

He could have figured in domestic knockout action, but the Red Devils suffered early defeats in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Gabriel will turn 16 on October 6, and that will clear the path for him to fully join the first-team ranks.

Asked if he expects the youngster to be let off the lease at some point during the 2026-27 campaign, 1999 Treble winner Cole - who was speaking courtesy of Unibet online casino - told GOAL: “I'm not sure because he's still a very young man, and I mean a very young man as well. The Premier League is not easy and because he's still learning his trade.

“I know there's a lot of talk about him at the moment. He's got fantastic talent and I think when the time's right he will be given the opportunity to play. Might not be for now or this season or whatever but he's just got to continue to do what he's doing.”

Another former United star, Lee Sharpe, told GOAL recently when asked when Gabriel’s big break could arrive: “I think he's got a good team of staff behind him, Michael Carrick and the lads he's got behind him. I think he's got some really good senior pros that will help him in the coming situations.

“It's just about managing him right and getting the timing right. You don't want to kill the lad's confidence, you don't want him to get kicked all over the place and get injured early. It is about managing his time right. I think we might see him come on maybe 10 minutes of a game at points this season, but if not, I mean he's only 15, maybe not, maybe next season.”

Another starry-eyed teenager that is hoping to graduate out of United’s fabled academy system is Kai Rooney - the eldest son of the Red Devils’ all-time leading goalscorer, Wayne. He appears, as a burly forward, to be cut from the same cloth as his father.

Quizzed on whether another Rooney could soon be leading the line at Old Trafford, Cole said: “You never know. Football is full of stories, so we just have to wait and see.”

Fraizer Campbell has previously told GOAL when the same question was put to him: “That would be fantastic. He’s played up for the 18s and the 23s this season, I think. He’s doing really, really well. If he’s anything like his dad, it would be fantastic for the club because Rooney was unbelievable in his playing days - still now, he played in the legends game and he’s still got the technique, that drive and hunger. It would be great for Wayne, Coleen and the family to see another Rooney pulling on the Man United shirt. It would be great for the fans as well.”

Wes Brown, another home-grown star, added: “Kai, knowing the lad he is, he’ll just work very hard. He will have his head down. Obviously, his dad has legendary status, but it’s all about Kai. He will have to work and do everything himself, make sure he puts the graft in and keeps on learning.

“All you can hope for, even when I was a kid, is getting an opportunity. If you do, can you take it? He’s done really well to get where he is at the moment because I’m guessing at some point, it will have been difficult for him.”

United will make a point of ensuring that they do not rush the ongoing development of Gabriel and Rooney. They are famed for keeping a pathway open that leads from the youth ranks and into the first-team.

For now, head coach Michael Carrick is focused on a return to Champions League competition against Sabah and a Premier League derby date with arch-rivals Manchester City on Sunday.