JJ Gabriel should use Mainoo as role model and 'bide his time' at Man Utd says Keane

JJ Gabriel should use Kobbie Mainoo as a role model and "bide his time" at Manchester United, says Roy Keane.

Real Madrid have become the latest club to be linked to the exciting talent in the United youth ranks who says he wants to leave.

The 15 year old had been set to be included in United’s senior squad for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Brighton, which could have given him the chance to make his competitive debut for the senior side.

But the teenager refused to train with Michael Carrick’s squad in the build-up to the game and was ultimately left out of the 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

And now Keane has compared him to Mainoo and said he should wait for his chance.

"We spoke about Mainoo a few months ago and Mainoo is a lot older than him, but we were saying that you have to bide your time as a footballer sometimes," he said.

"I can’t get my head around the fact that they’re 15. I would say that to an 18, 19, 20-year-old. We were saying about Mainoo to bide your time, sit on the bench, learn your trade and even sometimes sitting on the bench.

"Now he [Mainoo] has got his chance and he’s taken it. Be ready. But when they have no patience at 15…"

Keane also understands that Carrick is in a very different situation now with a struggling squad to when Alex Ferguson would put in youth players .

"Carrick is under pressure and we go back to Sir Alex Ferguson, and sometimes we’d throw young lads into the first-team, but United, they need wins," he said.

‘I don’t think United are in a position to go, 'we can write off a cup game tonight and play a couple of young lads', no, they’re going, 'we need to get a couple of wins, we need to get momentum into the season', and if some 15-year-old is spitting his dummy out, we’ll deal with that."

The situation emerged just days after Gabriel scored a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut, having already made his senior debut during pre-season against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm.

Gabriel’s camp made a request for him to leave United on the eve of the Brighton tie, with the development causing major ripples at Old Trafford.

Asked about the situation following the defeat, Carrick confirmed that he is involved in the conversations surrounding the teenager’s future but stressed the importance of handling the matter carefully.

“I just think we’ve got to be really careful of the whole situation,” Carrick said.

“He’s a young boy, he’s 15 and the biggest thing for me definitely and as a club point of view is looking after our younger players. Their welfare, their wellbeing, their exposure.

“And I think all of us we’ve got to be really conscious of that, really, in this situation. As a club, for sure, we’re all involved in those conversations. I just think we’ve got to be very careful of that.”

United remain involved in discussions over Gabriel, although the teenager has formally requested the cancellation of his registration.

The club are understood to be keen to resolve the situation and retain one of the most highly-rated young players to emerge from their academy in recent years.

Gabriel’s request comes at a significant point in his development. He has already stepped up to Premier League 2 football this season and made an explosive start, while his hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League followed a remarkable breakthrough campaign at Under-18 level.

The London-born forward was named both the Premier League Under-18 Player of the Year and United’s Under-18 Player of the Year last season, despite being just 14 when the campaign began.

He does not turn 16 until October 6, when he will become eligible to sign a scholarship agreement.

For now, however, his immediate future remains unresolved, with Gabriel not currently training with Carrick’s senior group.