Why JJ Gabriel isn’t on Man Utd’s Premier League player list on their website
Manchester United’s young star JJ Gabriel is ready to play in the Premier League this season, even though he’s not listed on the club’s official Premier League squad on their website.
At just 15 years old, JJ is seen as one of football’s brightest young talents and has been training regularly with the first team lately. In fact, he was spotted training alongside players like Benjamin Sesko, Luke Shaw, and Harry Amass as Michael Carrick’s team got ready for their match against Everton on Sunday.
Shortly after, Manchester United shared their official squad list for the 2026-27 season. Each club has to submit a list of up to 25 senior players over 21, including at least eight homegrown players. Younger players born on or after January 1, 2005, are listed separately and don’t count toward that number.
Some young stars, like Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro, are on the under-21 list and can also play this season. Harry Amass, Ayden Heaven, Shea Lacey, and Kai Rooney are there as well. Fans wondered why JJ Gabriel wasn’t included, but that’s because the list shown online only covers scholars and professional players, and JJ is still just 15.
Even so, JJ is eligible to play in Premier League games. Last year, Max Dowman made his debut for Arsenal at 15 years and 235 days, becoming one of the youngest ever.
Last month, JJ made an impressive Premier League 2 debut with a goal and two assists in a 5-0 win over Ipswich Town. Michael Carrick was full of praise afterward. He told BBC Sport, “I really enjoyed the game. You could see the quality. JJ is one of the boys. He’s obviously got a big talent. He’s been training with us a lot and gaining experience. He’s adjusting physically with every step, and we’re helping him grow.”
The youngest player ever for United is goalkeeper David Gaskell, who debuted at 16 years and 19 days. Whether JJ will break that record is something we’ll see in time.
Here’s a quick look at the current squad:
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow*, Tom Heaton*, Senne Lammens, Dermot Mee*
Defenders: Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire*, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw*
Midfielders: Carlos Baleba, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount*, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Manuel Ugarte
Forwards: Amad*, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford*, Benjamin Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee
(* homegrown players)
And here are some of the younger players:
Goalkeepers: Cameron Byrne-Hughes, Jake Ford, Charlie Hardy, Elyh Harrison**, Fred Heath, Solomon Honor**, Kit Margetson, Will Murdock, Zachary Watson
Defenders: Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Harley Emsden-James, Idris Fabiyi, Ayden Heaven, Yuel Helafu, Gazimagamed Ibragimov, Jaydan Kamason, Godwill Kukonki, Connor Laurie, Diego Leon, Rafe McCormack, Albert Mills, Reece Munro, Jayden Ngwashi, Samuel O’Brien, James Overy, Dante Plunkett, Jacob Watson, Leny Yoro
Midfielders: Nathaniel Junior Brown, Jaume Camacho Sidos, Jacey Carrick, Edson De Jonge-Seiros, Jacob Devaney**, Jayce Fitzgerald**, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, Amir Ibragimov, Sekou Kone**, Kobbie Mainoo, Finley McAllister, Jay McEvoy, Harlem McLaughlin, Jack Moorhouse**, Jodie Nganga, Cristian Orozco, Jariyah Shah, Pharell Silvester, Jim Thwaites, Emmanuel Ziro
Forwards: Noah Ajayi, Neithan Barbosa, Gabriele Biancheri, Enzo Kana Biyik, Shea Lacey, Samuel Lusale, Bendito Mantato, Ashton Missin, Camron Mpofu, Victor Musa, Chido Obi**, Kai Rooney, Tynan Thompson, Ethan Wheatley**
(** scholars)
JJ Gabriel’s journey is just starting, and it’s exciting to see what lies ahead for this talented young player!