Roy Keane sends message to Man Utd wonderkid JJ Gabriel amid Arsenal and Chelsea links

Roy Keane has called on JJ Gabriel to ‘bide his time’ and be ‘patient’ for opportunities at Manchester United after the youngster informed the club of his desire to leave.

United’s hierarchy were rocked this week as it emerged that Gabriel, 15, had asked for his registration with the Red Devils to be cancelled with immediate effect.

Gabriel has been fast-tracked through the academy ranks, having been with United since the age of 11, and is widely regarded to be among the most exciting young talents in world football.

The teenager first began training with United’s first-team squad when Ruben Amorim was manager and was named the Under-18 Premier League Player of the Season last term.

But Gabriel looks set to move on without making a senior appearance for his boyhood team, even though Michael Carrick had reportedly been planning to select the forward in his squad for United’s Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Brighton on Wednesday night.

According to The Sun, Carrick’s decision to field both Shea Lacey and Harry Amass in United’s Champions League victory over Sabah last week proved to be the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ for Gabriel’s camp.

Arsenal and Chelsea have been credited with an interest in Gabriel in recent days, while La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are also believed to be closely monitoring developments.

Addressing the topic on the latest episode of The Overlap, former United captain Keane said he ‘couldn’t get his head around’ the fact a player of such tender years had become embroiled in such an ugly dispute at Old Trafford.

Keane said: ‘You’re 15 years of age and you’re talking about playing for Manchester United’s first-team… just wait another six weeks!

‘Can you wait another six weeks until we maybe get through the cup? (episode was filmed prior to United’s defeat to Brighton)

‘Carrick is under pressure and we go back to Sir Alex Ferguson, and sometimes we’d throw young lads into the first-team, but United, they need wins.

‘I don’t think United are in a position to go, “We can write off a cup game tonight and play a couple of young lads”, no, they’re going, “We need to get a couple of wins, we need to get momentum into the season”, and if some 15-year-old is spitting his dummy out, we’ll deal with that.’

Keane encouraged Gabriel to take inspiration from fellow academy product Kobbie Mainoo, who was effectively frozen out of Amorim’s first-team before winning his place back under Carrick.

‘We spoke about Mainoo a few months ago and Mainoo is a lot older than him, but we were saying that you have to bid your time as a footballer sometimes,’ he added.

‘I can’t get my head around the fact that they’re 15. I would say that to an 18, 19, 20-year-old.

‘We were saying about Mainoo to bide your time, sit on the bench, learn your trade and even sometimes sitting on the bench.

‘Now he [Mainoo] has got his chance and he’s taken it. Be ready. But when they have no patience at 15…’

In response to Keane, Gary Neville questioned those in Gabriel’s inner circle who had allowed the youngster to become the ‘back-page story of every newspaper in the country’.

‘The player’s representatives have definitely leaked this. They’ve decided they want to go with the nuclear option and go bang: JJ Gabriel to leave Manchester United,’ the ex-United and England right-back said.

‘That, to me, is my concern. Whose representatives thinks that is good for the kid? That is not good.

‘From the point of view of a duty of care for a 15-year-old, a 15-year-old kid this morning is the back-page story of every newspaper in the country. How are you looking after that kid?

‘I don’t care if you think he should be playing or not because to be fair, if you think he should be playing, great. No problem with that, I’m sure lots of parents and representatives think their kid should be playing.

‘However, why would you want that leaking out to the papers?’

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright, meanwhile, believes the episode shines a light on the lack of ‘respect’ United now have around the game compared to his playing days.

‘This is the difference with Manchester United now, there’s a chaotic energy around the whole place,’ Wright said.

‘These representatives might be thinking: if he’s that good and he can’t get 15 minutes in the Carabao Cup… even if you’re gonna do that just to keep him sweet, I don’t know, but Manchester United didn’t do that.

‘That’s what he wanted and they don’t respect Manchester United how people used to respect Manchester United so they’re thinking: Ethan Nwaneri is playing at Arsenal, Lamine Yamal played in the Euros and won the Euros at 15, 16.

‘He might be that guy. It might be his representatives saying it but this guy, for whatever reason, wants it now.

‘This is the difference now. You couldn’t dictate to Manchester United before and say you’re leaving.’

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