Manchester United starlets JJ Gabriel and Albert Mills have been nominated for the Premier League’s Under-18 Player of the Season award.
U-18s stellar season
Under the watchful eye of head coach Darren Fletcher, the Under-18s have enjoyed a superb season, reaching the final of the FA Youth Cup and securing a second-place finish in the Under-18 Premier League North table.
A clash with local rivals Manchester City awaits in the cup, though the game has become embroiled in controversy after the opponents opted to host it at the 7,000-capacity Joie Stadium, across the road from the Etihad.
“The centrepiece of the academy season is a Manchester derby final, but the game is being played at City’s Joie Stadium on Thursday, May 14, rather than the Etihad,” the Manchester Evening News reports. “City had home advantage for the final but with work going on to ensure the Etihad’s North Stand redevelopment is ready for a test event, say the first-team stadium is unavailable.”
An offer to move the final to Old Trafford at United’s grace was rejected by City, sparking widespread criticism, with MUST describing the decision as a “disgrace”. While both Gabriel and Mills, two of the academy’s standout prospects, look destined to make the step up into senior football, for many youngsters the chance to play in front of a full crowd at a big stadium is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
For the blue half of Manchester to have actively discarded this to maintain ‘home advantage’ in a developmental game justifies supporters’ outrage. The perfect response for United will be to put their noisy neighbours to the sword on May 14 — with Gabriel and Mills set to play a foundational role for Fletcher’s side, as recognised by the Premier League itself.
The Nominees
Despite only turning 15 in October, Gabriel has enjoyed a meteoric debut season in academy football, returning 20 goals and four assists to lead the league as top scorer. His skill is unmatched by his peers, while his attitude and competitiveness have helped him dominate against players far bigger and stronger than he is.
The north London native is the standout nominee and is understood to be a frontrunner for the award. He has trained with the first team on numerous occasions this year and is expected to join Michael Carrick’s squad in pre-season, setting up the prospect of history being made next season.
While Gabriel’s star has shone bright enough to already be a well-known name amongst United fans, Mills has emerged under the radar as a bedrock of the Under-18s team, alongside fellow centre-back Dan Armer.
An academy expert describes the 18-year-old as a “great ball playing defender” who possesses a “fantastic passing range and impressive carrying ability”. He possesses an imposing frame and has produced “commanding” performances at the heart of United’s defence.
When Carrick faced an injury crisis at centre-back in March, Mills was called up to training for the first team to fill in — a reflection of his growing reputation at Old Trafford.
United are joined by Chelsea as the only other side to have two players — Mathis Eboue and Chizaram Ezenwata — nominated by the Premier League for the prestigious award. Teddie Lamb (City), Joe Roberts (Middlesbrough), Joshua Sonni-Lambie (Liverpool) and Tyler Tingey (Tottenham Hotspur) round off the other nominees.
Here are the nominees for #U18PL Player of the Season ✨
See their stats and watch their highlights!
👉 https://t.co/7UpIfQBLu3 pic.twitter.com/Ygp9WlVKA3— PL Youth (@PLYouth) May 8, 2026
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