Michael Carrick is unable to give one of Manchester United's most talented youngsters his Premier League debut because of a little-know rule preventing him from playing.
On Saturday evening, Arsenal's Max Dowman became the youngest ever goalscorer in the Premier League when he came off the bench to score the Gunners' second in a late 2-0 win over Everton.
Dowman, who cannot change with the rest of the first-team for safeguarding reasons, made his Arsenal debut in August against Leeds, becoming the second youngest player in Premier League history at 15 years and 235 days and winning a penalty.
He made his seventh appearance for Mikel Arteta's men and found the net aged 16 years and 73 days.
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United have a top talent of their own who fans are eager to see get the nod in the first-team after a series of impressive displays for the club's youth teams.
15-year-old JJ Gabriel has scored 20 goals in 22 games for United's under-18 side this term and is the youngest ever player to play for the club at that level.
But while he has been training with the first-team, Gabriel is blocked from featuring into the matchday squads.
As reported by The Mirror, that is because Gabriel only turned 15 in October. When the season back in August, he was 14 and Premier League rules state any 15-year-old can only play in the season if they turn 15 before August 31.
Carrick acknowledged the rule and Gabriel's development, commenting: "He is not allowed [to be part of a first-team squad]. He's too young. JJ's doing really well. We've got some really good players in the academy and we try and get the younger players up [with the main group] as much as we can."
Gabriel, who is eligible to play for a total of four different countries including England and Cyprus, is reportedly seen as “next in line" for Cristiano Ronaldo's throne and penned "one of the most lucrative contracts handed out to a player of his age", according to Nathan Salt of the Daily Mail.
Man United star raved about JJ Gabriel
While he hasn't made his first-team debut and will have to wait until next season, United players are well aware of his quality.
Bryan Mbuemo spoke about Gabriel in a recent interview and waxed lyrical about his ability, hailing him as a prospect who "has something special".
"He’s strong, the little guy is strong," Mbuemo told Zack En Roue Libre,
"Yeah, he’s strong, he’s really something, frankly. He’s really strong for, I don’t know how old he is, I think he’s 15?"
"You feel that he’s bound to be a little kid, but he trains quite a bit with us, and actually you see... you can feel that the little guy has something special.
"Of course, and you also see it when he plays, already he’s not even with the guys of his generation, and what he does... you feel it’s easy for him.
"He’s actually kind of a winger, he’s a dribbler and even in front of the box, I still think he’s good, honestly. Even when it’s one-on-one, often when you’re young, one-on-one in front of the goalkeeper, you stutter but I think he already has good blood."
Topics: Michael Carrick, Manchester United
Josh Lawless