Gabriel, 15, gets first senior Man Utd call-up

What the report says

BBC Sport reported that 15-year-old Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel has received his first call-up to the club’s senior squad for Friday’s pre-season friendly against Rosenborg in Trondheim. Gabriel is included in Michael Carrick’s 25-player travelling group and could make his senior United appearance if used in Norway. The BBC said he is the only addition from the squad beaten 1-0 by Wrexham in Finland, with Ethan Wheatley dropping out.

Gabriel, who will not turn 16 until October, has emerged as one of United’s most closely watched academy prospects. BBC Sport said he won both Premier League and Manchester United Under-18 awards last season and was a prolific scorer at youth level, including a breakout appearance as a 14-year-old in a 13-1 Under-18 win over Leeds. The report said United have handled his progress carefully, with first-team training exposure and close attention from senior staff.

The squad also reflects United’s wider youth-focused recruitment and development approach. BBC Sport noted there is no place for 18-year-old Tynan Thompson, recently signed from Tottenham in an £8m deal, while Benjamin Sesko, Karl Darlow and Matthijs de Ligt are unavailable because of injuries. Gabriel is not certain to play, as some members of the travelling party were unused against Wrexham, but any involvement would give United’s coaches a chance to assess him against senior opposition.

If Gabriel appears, the moment would be notable because of his age. BBC Sport added that David Gaskell remains United’s youngest competitive debutant, having played at 16 years and 19 days, while Gabriel is still several months short of 16.