JJ Gabriel's Man Utd warning sign - Five teenagers who moved young and flopped

· Mirror

JJ Gabriel is pushing for a Manchester United exit but history is littered with young players who sought moves elsewhere, only to struggle and lose out on years, some never recovering

JJ Gabriel seems very sure that Manchester United is not the club for him, but any player who makes that call before even making a professional experience better deliver when their time comes.

The teenager has been pushed up multiple age grades for years and has been earmarked as the best thing to come through the United academy in years. That in itself is big praise given the successes the club has had with its youth ranks.

But with young players increasingly wanting to take charge of their careers, Gabriel looks set to exit Manchester stage left and move, likely to Europe, as things stand. Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich are all keen.

Playing for them is pressurised enough, but when you've fobbed off your boyhood club who themselves are among the biggest in the world, then you certainly put a target on your back.

Football is littered with teenage prodigies who never went on to achieve what they should have in their early years, some never do it at all. The warning signs are there, but Gabriel seems happy to ignore them and press on anyway.

A trip down memory lane shows just how many teenage stars were destined for the top but never made it, or certainly had to bide their time and find new homes to realise their potential.

Martin Odegaard

He's now one of the most creative players in the Premier League and has begun the season in sensational fashion for Arsenal. But it wasn't until he moved to the Emirates that he begun actually unlocking his potential. Real Madrid, as they often do, wanted the new shiny thing in Europe and signed him in 2015 when he was just 16. His move from Stromgodset never truly worked out and he played just 11 times, going out on loan for five seasons before joining Arsenal permanently.

John Bostock

Then Crystal Palace owner claimed Tottenham had signed him for a fee equivalent to "a packet of crisps" when they secured his services. It was seen as a coup at the time, but it would be anything but. Much was expected from Bostock but a look at his nomadic career, which includes few heavyweight teams, makes you wonder where that potential went. Royal Antwerp, Lens and Solihull Moors among his employers.

Royston Drenthe

Named the best player at the U21 Euros in 2007, but going on strike to secure a move you want having achieve relatively little is never the wisest move. Drenthe came through the ranks at Feyenoord but when Real Madrid came knocking he wanted the blockbuster switch. His spell at the Bernabeu started brightly but quickly burnt out and he ended up clashing with managers, including Jose Mourinho. He eventually ended up at Reading and retired to pursue a music career, which says all you need to know.

Nick Powell

One for the United fans and a player who, even if it was in League Two, had done more in the game than Gabriel has to date. Powell spearheaded Crewe's promotion to the third tier in 2012, scoring 15 times, which included a stunning strike in the play-off final at Wembley. A move to Manchester had already been signed and sealed, but it never happened for Powell at Old Trafford. He made three league outings amid a succession of loan spells, finding home again in the Football League.

Reece Oxford

A name that is remembered for a Man of the Match performance on the opening day of the Premier League as West Ham saw off Arsenal. He marshalled Mesut Ozil as a teenager, but that would be his career high, on his debut. He would never replicate the form he showed that afternoon and loan spells to Reading and then in Germany did little to reignite things for Oxford, who is now without a club.

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