Ryan Giggs is right, Man United have their own 'generational talent' who's just like Max Dowman
Manchester United cannot afford to get things wrong with teenage sensation JJ Gabriel after a warning from Ryan Giggs over how he is handled.
United fans are eagerly waiting for Gabriel to be given his first-team opportunity, with Giggs warning the club that the England Under-17 international must remain part of the first-team setup throughout this campaign, and be given his opportunity sooner rather than later.
The 15-year-old wonderkid is still waiting to make his senior competitive bow, despite impressing in pre-season and during training with the first-team, and scoring a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League win against Sabah.
Gabriel is now eligible to play Premier League football, and made his first senior appearance in the pre-season win over Atletico Madrid in August.
The youngster was named the Under-18 Premier League player of the season last season, despite only being 14 at the start of the campaign, and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting future stars both for United and for England.
Gabriel turns 16 in October and FA rules allow United to make a financial offer from November 1st for Gabriel to sign a pre-contract ahead of landing a professional deal when he turns 17.
What has Ryan Giggs said about JJ Gabriel?
Gabriel has been tipped for big things at Man United, having impressed through the academy ranks and earned recognition from Michael Carrick and his coaching staff.
Having frequently trained with the first-team squad, Giggs has called for the club to support Gabriel's development by keeping the teenager in and around the senior squad.
"Well, I think he is sort of a generational talent, he's got to stay," Giggs said on Rio Ferdinand Presents. "There's no point in going out on loan because he's at the best place and he'd be dipping in and out of the first team, so that experience is invaluable.
"Not only the games and the training, but actually travelling with the team, seeing the expectation of Man United, the focus is so huge on Manchester United, you need to get used to that.
"I think you go on loan when you're 19, 20, not the next few years when you expect him to, if he's going the same way, to be in the first team soon as a regular, not just dipping in and out.
"Sometimes you have to be patient, sometimes it gets to a point where you just can't not pick him and not have him train in the first team."
When could Gabriel feature for Man United?
Man United missed the opportunity to include Gabriel in their plans for their return to the Champions League against minnows and competition debutants Sabah by not naming him in their A list squad for the tournament.
Premier League rivals Arsenal used the early fixtures of last season's Champions League to blood their own wonderkid Max Dowman, but Gabriel is not eligible to be named in United's Champions League B list squad until he turns 16 next month.
Arsenal were able to give Dowman his European debut last season against Slavia Prague, despite still being under 16, as he was named in their A list squad. As a result, he now holds the record for the youngest player to appear in the competition at 15 years and 308 days old.
Meanwhile, Chelsea handed fellow 2010-born youngster Reggie Watson his full first-team debut in the recent Carabao Cup clash with Leeds United to become the fourth-youngest player in Chelsea's history to represent the club.
Arsenal and Chelsea have shown they are not afraid to give youth an opportunity and now United fans are feeling their club must do the same with prodigious talent Gabriel.