Manchester United’s 14-year-old prodigy, often called the young Messi, has been invited to train with the first team, with Amad Diallo taking a photo with him! He is currently not eligible to play in matches.

Although Manchester United’s 14-year-old sensation Gabriel (JJ Gabriel) is too young to participate in this season’s FA Youth Cup with the U18 squad, he has been promised occasional training sessions with Ruben Amorin’s first team this season. This week, he appeared to be involved in first-team training at Carrington, where Amorin took a photo with him.

Holding an EU passport, Gabriel renewed his contract with Manchester United this summer, turning down interest from European giants like Barcelona. The club’s sporting director Jason Wilcox played a key role in persuading him to stay, likely offering substantial commitments, including the opportunity to train with the first team.

Gabriel made his first start last Saturday in Manchester United’s U18s 1-0 victory over Everton, delivering an impressive performance and earning the winning penalty. The following day, he was invited to watch the first team’s Premier League match against Arsenal from the directors’ box at Old Trafford, further demonstrating the club’s intention to make him feel part of the squad.

This week, Amorin met the young talent at the newly renovated £50 million Carrington first-team training center. The Manchester United coach will see more of Gabriel this season as the club has arranged for him to join first-team training sessions. The club has assigned him the number 95 jersey, making him the youngest squad member wearing the highest number ever given.

It’s not uncommon for academy players to train with the first team, especially the day after matches when senior players often rest or do recovery workouts, and youngsters fill in to maintain numbers. However, it is rare for a 14-year-old like Gabriel to train with the first team, as most kids his age are still in school, doing homework, and hanging out with friends.

Gabriel will not be able to participate in Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup campaign this season because players must be born on or before August 31, 2010, to be eligible—meaning they need to be at least 15 years old. Similarly, he cannot appear in official first-team matches like the Premier League until next season, when he will have the chance to make his debut.

Signed alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son, Mini Ro, Gabriel has not yet met the criteria to be officially recognized as a United academy player. According to the “homegrown” rules, a player must have been with the club for three full seasons between ages 15 and 21 to qualify. Gabriel joined in February 2022, but he will only turn 15 on October 6 this year, which starts the eligibility clock.

Nevertheless, Gabriel is already regarded as Manchester United’s “academy prince.” He rose to prominence in April when he became the youngest player ever to appear for the U18s and scored twice in a 13-1 rout of Leeds United’s youth team. Nike has signed him early and sees him as a future star comparable to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Gabriel and Mini Ro are close friends, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who knows the young player well from visits to his home, gave him a signed jersey as a keepsake when he left Manchester United.

On Thursday, Manchester United also announced a key appointment in their youth academy: Stephen Torpey has been named academy director. Torpey joined from Brentford, where he rebuilt the youth system from U9 to U18 levels. He brings nearly 20 years of elite academy coaching and management experience, having previously worked at Manchester City and Liverpool.