15-year-old JJ Gabriel makes Man Utd debut with separate locker room due to FA minor rules

Published Aug 3, 12:33 AM UTC

During a pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Atletico Madrid on August 3rd, 15-year-old JJ Gabriel made his unofficial debut for Manchester United's first team, coming off the bench in the final stages. At 15 years and 299 days, he became the youngest player to represent the club in a match, though the record is unofficial due to the friendly nature of the game. Notably, the club arranged a separate small changing area for Gabriel, separate from the adult first-team players, in compliance with the Football Association's guidelines on protecting minors. The FA rules stipulate that when adults and children use the same venue, separate changing, shower, and toilet areas must be provided, and adults should not change in the same facility as children simultaneously. Manchester United won the match 2-1.