15-Year-Old Scores Hat-Trick to Set Manchester United Youth Champions League Record as Team Manage 44 Shots Without Conceding

On Thursday Beijing time, Manchester United U19 defeated Azerbaijani side Sabah 5-0 in their opening UEFA Youth League match. The youngest player on the pitch, 15-year-old JJ Gabriel, scored a hat-trick to become the youngest player in Manchester United history to score a hat-trick in the competition.

44 shots, opponents with zero shots

Manchester United's dominance was reflected in the statistics: the team registered 44 shots, while opponents Sabah had none. Football director Jason Wilcox and first-team assistant coach Travis Binnion watched the match in person.

Captain Amir Ibragimov and Jacob Watson scored the other two goals, but the youngest player on the pitch, Gabriel, was the main focus. He scored twice in the final five minutes and celebrated with a knee slide in front of hundreds of fans at the Leigh Sports Village.

Three goals, each better than the last

Gabriel's first goal came in the 44th minute, when he controlled a clearance with his chest before finishing with a close-range half-volley.

The second goal arrived in the 84th minute: he started the move with a backheel, then received a pass, dribbled past a defender and finished with a side-footed shot.

The third goal was the best of the three. In the 86th minute, he received a chipped pass from Jim Thwaites, held off three defenders and fired into the corner.

Manager's statement: My job is not to ruin him

Adam Lawrence was officially confirmed as Manchester United U21 head coach this week, while also taking responsibility for the professional development pathway from U16 level. In January, he briefly worked at Newcastle United when Michael Carrick was interim first-team manager and Binnion was promoted. Lawrence later returned to Manchester United's academy coaching staff.

Speaking about Gabriel, Lawrence said: “He is obviously a talented young player, he is in a really good place at the moment and really enjoying his football. I think you can see that through his performance. We had a lot of the ball in this game. Their goalkeeper made some good saves from him, and there were a few chances that did not come off, but you always felt he was a threat around the box. To score two goals at the end and complete his hat-trick was great.”

On coaching Gabriel, Lawrence added: “First of all, my job is not to ruin him. When you have a talented player like JJ, and of course other young players as well, you do not want to take away their freedom and creativity. What you need to do is build the team properly so that talent can express itself freely at the right moments.”

“It cannot always be about freedom and improvisation, because he also needs to take responsibility without the ball and think about pressing, but in terms of how he plays the game correctly and connects with his teammates……”

Gabriel joined Manchester United's first team for their pre-season tour of Scandinavia this summer.