Man Utd's new Cristiano Ronaldo was at FA Youth Cup semi-final, his debut is imminent

Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Youth Cup on Monday night by a rigid Aston Villa side that played its gameplan to perfection.

It was ultimately a very frustrating night for Adam Lawrence’s side, who will know themselves to be capable of so much more than the display that Monday night showcased.

Perhaps the occasion got to Manchester United’s youngsters, with the attack struggling to get anything going, which is unusual of the usually lethal forward line.

Despite James Scanlon’s 20th goal of the campaign, United were held to a 1-1 draw inside 120 minutes with Villa’s defence excellent and they were also very dangerous on the counter attack.

For United, the main positive was Bendito Mantato’s excellent cameo as he looked a cut above anyone else on the pitch before being moved to left-back.

United suffered from the absence of Harry Amass at left-back. However, one exciting thing from Monday night was not to do with the game, but rather the sight of a sensational 14-year-old talent at Villa Park was an exciting glimpse to the near future of U18 football.

READ: Man Utd under-18s top scorers and assists in 2024/25, all results

Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

JJ Gabriel spotted with Manchester United U18s

For many of the U18s, last night was the last chance at FA Youth Cup glory with Chido Obi, Gabriele Biancheri, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher and Jaydan Kamason among the several stars to be in their final year with the U18s.

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Due to this, it is expected that the coming weeks will see Lawrence begin to integrate U17s and U16s into the fold, with JJ Gabriel expected to be in line for his debut.

Despite being 14, Gabriel is tipped for the stars, and his U18 inclusion looks likely, with the youngster spotted at Villa Park prior to the semi-final clash.

This is not the first time he has been part of the match day squad with the U18s, and Gabriel is expected to be in line for his debut this season.

Gabriel was joined by 16-year-old Edward Fletcher as another who will likely step up in the coming weeks.

Manchester United needs to fast-track JJ Gabriel

Despite his youth, United need to fast-track Gabriel, and that certainly appears to be happening.

There is a lot of interest in the teenager, with Real Madrid and Barcelona keen on Gabriel, which means United will feel inclined to push him into the spotlight and up the age groups, so he doesn’t feel better served elsewhere.

Gabriel is the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo’s throne at Nike and also Old Trafford if he can fulfil his potential. This is quite a comparison, but one which he deserves if brief clips of his ability at younger age groups are anything to go by.

In terms of raw talent, Gabriel is arguably the best in the country at that age and United need to keep hold of him.

Hopefully, this is a sign of Gabriel being imminently about to step up to the plate.

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