Man Utd U18s have reached the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup, which will be played at Old Trafford next month.
Manchester United Under-18s will play Sunderland at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday, March 18, with a kick-off time of 7pm. The U18s’ league fixture against Sunderland which had been scheduled for Saturday, March 13, will be re-arranged.
Darren Fletcher’s side progressed to the quarter-finals thanks to a 4-1 win against Oxford City earlier this month. JJ Gabriel, Albert Mills, Chido Obi and Noah Ajayi were on the scoresheet that night.
Gabriel’s performances have made headlines this season. The youngster is the top goalscorer in the U18 league, despite playing years above his age group, and has netted 16 goals in all competitions.
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The 15-year-old has already trained with the first team on several occasions and has been tipped for a bright future. “JJ is a fantastic talent. I’ve enjoyed working with him immensely, getting to know him,” said Fletcher when he was asked about Gabriel in December.
“He’s a young lad with a massive sort of hype, you know there’s a lot of noise around him and deservedly so because he’s a real talented kid. He works hard. First thing I’d say is he loves football.
“He loves training, he loves playing, he loves having the ball, he loves expressing himself. He makes fantastic decisions. He’s just got an enthusiasm for the game that’s just amazing.
“15-year-old, a bright future ahead of him. I’m super excited by his talent, but the most important thing is that he keeps developing, and he’s in the U18 team, and he’s doing fantastically well, but he’s still got lots to learn.”
Obi has dropped down to play for the U18s in the Youth Cup. The 18-year-old made seven first-team appearances last season, but Fletcher has involved him in the Youth Cup this term. The U18s reached the semi-finals of the Youth Cup last season, losing to eventual winners Aston Villa.
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