JJ Gabriel’s dad played for two current Premier League teams while there were talks about him leaving Man Utd.
JJ Gabriel’s dad, Joe O’Cearuill, played for two current Premier League teams during his career, including Arsenal. Now, 15-year-old Gabriel has reportedly asked to leave Manchester United and cancel his contract so he can join another club.
He’s said to be unhappy with how he’s been developing and the lack of chances he’s getting at Old Trafford. Even though he was expected to make his debut in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup game against Brighton, he still wants a change. His dad, who was a youth player himself, knows quite a bit about United’s opponents.
O’Cearuill was born in London but played twice for the Republic of Ireland’s senior team. He started out in the youth teams of Leyton Orient and Watford but was released by both. However, Arsenal’s then-boss Arsene Wenger noticed him when he trialed with their reserve team, and signed him in 2006.
He was a substitute in Dennis Bergkamp’s farewell game, the first match at the Emirates Stadium, but never played competitively for Arsenal’s first team. He did play for their under-21 side and was on the bench for a League Cup game in 2006.
Joe went on loan to Brighton for a month during the 2006/07 season and played well enough for them to extend his stay. Sky Sports said he “impressed at both right-back and centre-half” while Brighton finished 18th in League One.
After that, he signed for Barnet in League Two in 2007. He also played for Ireland’s youth teams, including U21 in a tough match against England in 2008, featuring players like Theo Walcott and Joe Hart.
Just before leaving Arsenal, Joe made two appearances for the Irish senior team in friendlies against Ecuador and Bolivia on a US tour.
He spent the 2008/09 season with St Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland, then moved into non-league football in England. He played for several clubs including Forest Green Rovers and Haringey Borough, with his last recorded club being Haringey Borough in 2016.
Now nearly 40, Joe acts as JJ Gabriel’s agent. If Gabriel leaves Manchester United, he’s likely to have some big European clubs interested. Reports say Real Madrid feel they’re in a good position to sign him, and Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested.
The Telegraph says Gabriel probably wouldn’t rush into joining another club right away. With his dad as his agent, he’ll play a big part in what Gabriel decides to do next. But Manchester United will face a tough challenge to keep the young talent in their squad.