Steven Gerrard sends transfer warning to wantaway Man Utd teenager JJ Gabriel

Steven Gerrard insists the best place for JJ Gabriel to develop will be at Man Utd with coaches and staff prepared to “protect him”.

The Red Devils have one of the hottest prospects in world football on their hands in JJ Gabriel with the 15-year-old – who turns 16 next month – talked about as one of the best academy products Man Utd have ever seen.

Gabriel scored a hat-trick in just one half of football as he put his name up in lights during his UEFA Youth League debut against FC Sabah Under-19s.

But, just a few days later, the Daily Telegraph revealed that Gabriel ‘has unexpectedly asked to quit’ at Man Utd as he looks for a better pathway at another club.

The report added: ‘In a move that has shocked United and is almost unprecedented, Gabriel – whose full name is Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel – has sent formal notice that he wishes to cancel his registration at the club with immediate effect to become a free agent.

‘It is understood that Gabriel is not in line to join another club immediately, but has decided he wants to leave United – the club he has played for since the age of 11.’

But Liverpool legend Gerrard is struggling to see the rush around Gabriel’s career by those advising him with Man Utd the best place for the English teenager.

Gerrard told TNT Sports: “It’s not just in this situation. Broadly, it scares me in the game that kids can now be rushed or careers can be forced.

“I don’t know the details and the background in this isolated situation with JJ Gabriel but if you look at it all he’s at one of the biggest clubs in the world. They’ve got a history and a tradition of producing fantastic players.

“There will be top people behind the scenes at Manchester United but the big thing for me is, you’ve got an English coach [Michael Carrick] and an English assistant manager [Steve Holland] who will want to, when the time is right, and when they think he’s ready, protect him… but when they feel he’s ready they will play him.

“Not just this situation, the game as a whole, these talents, they have parents, they have agents, outside influences that force and rush too soon, and it can affect a kid’s career.

“It is going to add huge pressure and also if you’re another club looking into this situation you’re thinking to yourself, ‘yeah the kid is a big talent’, but do you want the baggage and the noise around it?

“Let’s use Jose Mourinho for example at Real Madrid. Even if he goes to Real Madrid now, is Jose Mourinho going to play this kid straight away, is he going to be forced to push him? You know what these elite managers are like, they play kids when they are ready to contribute to the team.

“In my opinion they need to look after the kid’s health and his care, but Manchester United can give him that, they’ve got a history of doing that. I don’t see the rush, I don’t see the panic.

“I don’t know what’s been said or promised behind the scenes but from the outside this stinks to me that someone is pushing, forcing and rushing it. And I don’t think it’s going to help the kid in any way, shape or form.

“As a say, I’m a big rival of Manchester United, but I’ve watched Manchester United from afar, there’s top coaches there, top people. I know Michael Carrick very well and, if this kid was ready, he’d be getting played.”