Shea Lacey takes a sly jab at JJ Gabriel after shocking exit request
Manchester United fans were pretty surprised by a post from Shea Lacey after news came out that young star JJ Gabriel wants to leave the club. Gabriel, just 15 years old, is seen as one of the best young talents in world football and recently scored an amazing hat-trick in his first UEFA Youth League game.
But less than a week later, reports say he wants to leave United and has asked the club to cancel his registration right away. Fans were hoping Gabriel would be part of the Carabao Cup squad for the match against Brighton at Old Trafford on Wednesday, possibly becoming United’s youngest ever player. Now, things have changed a lot with this new update.
Shea Lacey, another exciting young player at United, seemed to react to the news with a subtle post on X (formerly Twitter). He shared a picture of himself arriving at Old Trafford with a heart emoji. The post got over three million views and lots of reactions from United fans.
One fan said, “Unbelievable dig, absolutely love it.” Another wrote, “This is what it’s all about.” Others added comments like, “He ain’t slick, but we love that. Let’s work son,” and “PR masterclass.”
Lacey, who is the younger brother of footballers Paddy and Luis and a United fan despite his family supporting Liverpool, made his Premier League debut last season against Aston Villa and played in the Champions League just last week.
According to Samuel Luckhurst from The Sun, Gabriel’s team wasn’t happy that Lacey and another player, Amass, got their Champions League debuts in a 4-0 win over Sabah. They felt Gabriel, nicknamed ‘Kid Messi,’ should have been picked instead. This seems to have been the final straw leading to Gabriel’s request to become a free agent.
Gabriel can’t sign a scholarship deal until he turns 16 in October, and his professional contract won’t start until he’s 17. To cancel a youth player’s registration during this time, the club, player, and parent or guardian must all agree. If they don’t, the Premier League can make a binding decision.
Barcelona is said to be trying to sign Gabriel, and nearby clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea are watching his situation closely. United legend Ryan Giggs called him a “generational talent,” and it was reported he was expected to be in the squad against Brighton before this surprising news came out.