Rashford mentors 15-year-old United wonderkid JJ Gabriel with blunt mindset advice

Marcus Rashford has assumed a mentoring role at Manchester United this summer, taking 15-year-old academy prospect JJ Gabriel — along with fellow youngster Shea Lacey — under his wing since rejoining the club after his loan spell at Barcelona.

According to The Daily Mail, club insiders have been struck by the maturity Rashford, 28, has shown in contributing to the development of United’s next generation. It is, however, a role the forward has quietly embraced for years. As far back as 2020, while still establishing himself in the first team, Rashford was already passing on guidance to younger players coming through the academy.

“It’s the mindset that sets you apart, and that’s what I try to tell the kids coming through now,” Rashford said at the time. “You can work hard to get to the first team, but you have to change your mindset to first-team football. If that doesn’t change, it’s impossible to stay. If you do well on the pitch, everything else follows. You have to make a decision.”

Having broken into United’s senior side as a 17-year-old himself, Rashford is well placed to understand the pressures that come with being a young player at Old Trafford. Gabriel is reported to have been close to a first-team debut last season, only for his age to prevent it.

Rashford’s return to United has been warmly received by manager Michael Carrick, who replaced Ruben Amorim — the coach with whom Rashford had a well-documented falling out. Barcelona opted not to make his move permanent after his loan at the Camp Nou, paving the way for his return to Manchester.

“It’s been pretty obvious since Marcus came back training with Kobbie [Mainoo] and Licha [Lisandro Martinez] pretty much, in Dublin, that he’s come back fantastically well,” Carrick said at a press conference on Thursday. “He’s enjoying his football, he looks fit, he looks sharp, he looks strong, he looks ready to play football. So I’ve been delighted with him since he’s come back.”

The Daily Mail also reported that Rashford has been quick to rebuild his relationship with Kobbie Mainoo since returning. Both players face a competitive season ahead — Mainoo in a midfield now bolstered by the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.