Wayne Rooney reveals what he’s ‘heard’ about JJ Gabriel at Man Utd training ground | Football

Wayne Rooney claims it has been something of an open secret at Manchester United that JJ Gabriel has had a ‘desire’ and ‘hunger’ to leave the club for Spain in recent years.

Shockwaves reverberated around youth football last week as it emerged that Gabriel had asked for his registration with United to be cancelled with immediate effect.

The 15-year-old forward is widely considered to be among the brightest young talents in the European game and has been fast-tracked through the Red Devils’ academy ranks, regularly competing in older age groups.

It’s understood Gabriel’s camp are adamant about their decision and have no intention of backing down on that stance, meaning the teenager looks likely to depart without playing a single minute of senior football for the club.

Michael Carrick had reportedly been considering naming Gabriel in his first-team squad that went on to lose to Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup before the news broke.

Arsenal and Chelsea have been keeping close tabs on the situation in the intervening days and Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with a strong interest in the highly rated youngster.

However, La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are understood to be the frontrunners to secure a deal for Gabriel – rumours which have come as no surprise to United legend Rooney.

‘I’ve seen JJ grow up, he’s been in Kai’s [Rooney’s son] team throughout the years growing up and I think anyone close to it knew that was coming,’ Rooney said on the latest episode of Stick to United with Wayne Rooney.

‘In fairness to Manchester United, they’ve done everything, they’ve done absolutely everything to keep him at the club.

‘I think it’s been known and there’s been a desire to go and play probably in Spain, I think. I might be wrong but this is what you’ve heard over the years.

‘The club have treated him probably differently to the other players because he is such a special talent and I know, I recognise, I understand that because I was that player at Everton.

‘I was getting that treatment at Everton where you’re getting a bit more, parents get given stuff, you get that special treatment more than the other players are getting which, as a club, you need to do to try and keep these better players.

‘It’s just disappointing, of course, because he’s such a top player and he’s a lovely kid so yeah, you never know whether it’s gone too far and whether there is a chance for him to stay.

‘But I think everyone close to it has probably known that was going to come.’

Rooney, once a wonderkid himself before becoming United’s all-time record goalscorer, added: ‘I think there has been that hunger, that desire to play in Spain if I’m being honest.

‘I might be wrong here but this is my opinion from being around it, seeing him play and things I’ve heard at the training ground.’

The former England captain believes there is no way back for Gabriel and keeping the attacker would send out the ‘wrong message’ to other young and aspiring players in the academy.

‘To be honest, I’m not sure he’s a Manchester United fan.

‘Since he’s been about 12 or 13, there has been talk of him going to play in Spain so I think anyone who has been around it, this is not a surprise at all that this has happened.

‘It’s a shame because he’s such a good talent, a good player, there’s a lot of excitement around the club.

‘But what I do know is there’s any young players in there who want to play for the club and regardless of age, if you don’t want to be at the club then I don’t think you should be keeping players who don’t want to be there.

‘I think that sends the wrong message to the players at the club who do want to be there.’

Rooney has no doubts about Gabriel’s ability but just hopes the teenager is receiving good advice and making decisions for the ‘right reasons’.

‘He’s a top player. Listen, his ability, his balance, he’s shown he can move up the ages and score goals,’ he went on.

‘His next step is obviously first-team football where it’s different so you never know until you get in there.

‘But he’s such a special talent and understands the game really well.

‘I think at some point this season he would have made his debut for the first-team so that’s where it’s disappointing.

‘It’s one of them, there’s never a better opportunity to go and play first-team football than where United are at the minute because they need good players, attacking players, flair players, and that’s what he is.

‘You just hope he’s asking to leave for the right reasons and not for the wrong reasons, not for money, because he’s going to get that in abundance. You just hope it’s for the right reasons.’

Michael Carrick called for Gabriel’s future to be handled with ‘care’ in the wake of United’s defeat to Brighton – and Rooney felt his old team-mate was ‘spot on’ with his assessment of the situation.

‘You see how Arsenal are managing Max Dowman,’ Rooney explained.

‘Sometimes you think you’re ready… he’s 15, you’ve got to remember he’s a 15-year-old kid and he’s not a young lad who had the physique that I had at that age and I could handle it physically.

‘Now, with a lot of mental health issues in the world and in football, you’ve got to make sure you’re making the right decisions for him as a human being.

‘I think Michael Carrick was spot on when he spoke about it after the Brighton game, I thought he spoke really well on it, that you have to protect the kid first.

‘You hope it’s for the right reasons. Obviously there’s been a lot of talk about who is making the decision, whether it’s him making the decision, and I think it’s an impossible decision to make at that age for any kid so you just hope it gets handled right.’

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