Gabriel trains alone this summer to force his way into Carrick's Man United plans

JJ Gabriel is spending his summer in the gym and on the training ground in a bid to earn senior minutes at Manchester United, with manager Michael Carrick set to lean on academy talent during a pre-season stripped of World Cup absentees.

The winger, who does not turn 16 until October, is already eligible to feature in Premier League football next season and has previously trained with the first team under both Carrick and his predecessor Ruben Amorim. A senior appearance is not thought to be far away.

Gabriel’s father, Joe O’Cearuill, shared a series of videos on social media showing the teenager completing strength and speed sessions at the gym and on the training ground. One caption read: “JJ 12min kick ups with tennis ball walk to gym,” accompanying a collage of four clips. The footage drew an enthusiastic response from United supporters, with one writing: “What a player he’s going to be for United, hopefully he will have a statue one day.” Another added: “If he has good people around him who value privacy, he’ll go on to challenge for Ballon d’Or.”

Carrick will be without several senior players in July due to World Cup commitments, making pre-season a genuine opportunity for younger squad members to catch his eye. United’s first friendly takes place in Helsinki on 18 July against Wrexham, and players not involved in the tournament are expected back in training before that date — Gabriel among them.

Gabriel is not the only academy prospect making use of the off-season. Kai Rooney, whose 2025/26 campaign was disrupted by injury, has shared gym footage suggesting he is adding muscle ahead of pre-season as he looks to hit the ground running next term.

Carrick will have six pre-season fixtures in which to assess his options before United begin their 2026/27 campaign. After Helsinki, the schedule includes an away game against Rosenborg in Norway and neutral-venue matches against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United, and AC Milan. None of the six games will be played at Old Trafford.