Ruben Amorim has just been proven right by JJ Gabriel nine months after his most controversial press conference

The JJ Gabriel situation has yielded an unintentional consequence. He has proven Ruben Amorim correct.

JJ Gabriel appears set to leave Manchester United, with his camp deciding they wish to pursue a career for him elsewhere. It comes less than a week after he scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League.

Gabriel’s representatives felt he should have been playing up with the senior squad. He has the ability – but no 15-year-old has ever played for Manchester United’s first team in a competitive game.

United were prepared to change this in the Carabao Cup. And that’s still not enough. Gabriel wishes to leave.

And this brings us back to one of Ruben Amorim’s most controversial moments at Manchester United.

Ruben Amorim slammed young player entitlement

Back in December 2025, Ruben Amorim was beginning to unravel. He was coming under huge pressure due to his refusal to start young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, despite the England international being a proven commodity at first team level.

Amorim chose to try and defend his stance in a wider sense, pointing towards Harry Amass and Chido Obi as two players he gave debuts to, but ultimately did not believe they were ready for the Manchester United first team environment.

He slammed the ‘entitlement’ felt by young players to waltz into the team.

Many decried Amorim’s words as unfair, but they could not be more apt when it comes to JJ Gabriel.

“There is a feeling of entitlement we have in our club,” Amorim moaned about the young players.

You do not get more entitled than a 15-year-old refusing to play for the first team because he believes he should have been granted an opportunity even sooner.

Gabriel would have become the youngest player in Manchester United history. He would have an opportunity every kid would have dreamed of.

And he has thrown it all away because he believes he is entitled to more.

Gabriel trained with United’s first team when he was 14 under Ruben Amorim.

Tactically Amorim did not get a lot right. But when it came to the attitude of young players like Alejandro Garnacho, and seemingly JJ Gabriel – he could see right through them.