Ryan Giggs thinks Man Utd have unearthed the next Wayne Rooney – ‘a generational talent’
Ryan Giggs has compared Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel to Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney and has given him some strong advice about his future.
Gabriel is only 15 years of age, but the Man Utd teenager has already been making the headlines.
The teenager made his first-team debut for Man Utd against Atletico Madrid at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm in a pre-season friendly this summer.
At 15, Gabriel became the youngest-ever player to feature for the Man Utd senior team, although it came in an unofficial capacity.
The youngster also trained regularly with the Man Utd first team last season.
Gabriel was ineligible to play in the Premier League last season because he turned 15 in October 2025.
READ: Paul Scholes raises doubt on Man Utd midfield signing – ‘I don’t think it’s a guaranteed hit’
Premier League rules stipulate that a player cannot feature in the competition if they turned 15 after the start of September in a given season.
Gabriel is in line to make his debut for Man Utd in the Premier League this season and could become the youngest ever player to turn out for the Red Devils’ first team.
Man Utd legends Rio Ferdinand and Giggs have been hugely impressed with Gabriel, with the latter comparing him to the great Rooney, who played with them for the Red Devils.
Ryan Giggs wowed by Man Utd sensation JJ Gabriel
On Rio Ferdinand Presents, when Ferdinand revealed what he noticed when watching Gabriel train with Michael Carrick’s side, Giggs responded by saying: “That sounds like Wayne, doesn’t it? Just give me the ball, give me the ball.
“You know, just I don’t care who I’m training with.”
READ MORE: Man Utd in ‘discussions with Man City’ for £31m star as ‘officials’ react to Alexis Mac Allister comments
When asked what Gabriel needs to do in the first team right now, Giggs said: “You need to play.
“You need to play games and it’s difficult because if you’re in squads for the first team, you’re not going to sort of turn that down.
“But also you need minutes on the pitch.
“But he’s at the best club because the history of young players coming through and how they’re looked after.
“And he’s got good people around him, obviously, who’ve played at the club, you know, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Jonny Evans, all these players have been at the club.
“You know, a couple of them have come through.
“So he’s at the right club.”
Ferdinand then asked Giggs if Man Utd should send Gabriel out on loan.
The former Wales international winger replied: “Well, I think he is sort of a generational talent.
“He’s got to stay.
“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.
“You know, not only the games and the training, but actually travelling with the team, seeing the expectation of Man United, you’re seeing all sort of, 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, you know, the next few years.
“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.
“You know, it gets to a stage where sometimes that might be in a month, might be six months, might be a year.
“It’s that in-between time where he thinks he should be in the first team.
“He thinks he should be in the squad every week.
“Well, actually, Michael sees it a different way that actually, no, you need to play games because it’s not really going to do you any good travelling here, there and everywhere and you’re getting five minutes here, ten minutes there.”
READ NEXT: £39m midfielder sheds light on reason Man Utd summer transfer failed – ‘I’ve been very blessed’
