Manchester United’s academy continues to produce standout talents, with 17-year-old forward Noah Ajayi emerging as a key prospect alongside Kai Rooney and JJ Gabriel.
Noah Ajayi’s Impressive Rise
The German-born striker, who stands at an imposing 6’2″, offers versatility on the left wing or up top. Ajayi has already featured for the under-21s before dropping back to the under-18s. Relocating to England at age 10, he showcases exceptional dribbling, technical skill, and a sharp goal-scoring instinct.
This season, Ajayi has scored five goals in 16 appearances across all competitions. He hit form last month with goals in three straight matches: once against Wolves and twice versus Derby County in the U18 Premier League. Earlier, he contributed in a 4-1 FA Youth Cup win over Oxford United.
At 6’2″, Ajayi towers over teammates like 15-year-old JJ Gabriel (around 5’5″) and 16-year-old Kai Rooney (5’9″), both with room to grow.
Academy Stars and Recent Success
Gabriel leads with 19 goals this season and has trained with the senior squad. Rooney, despite a September injury sidelining him for much of the campaign, has five goals, including one in the recent 3-1 victory over West Ham United that secured a spot in the U18 Premier League Cup final.
Ajayi impressed in that West Ham match without scoring. The Academy Scoop highlighted his progress on X: “He’s really taken a big step up in 2026 and has emerged as one of the biggest talents in his age group.”
Carrick’s Hands-On Approach
Caretaker manager Michael Carrick made a 300-mile round trip to watch the Youth Cup clash against Oxford United. A regular at academy games since taking charge, Carrick shared his thoughts on MUTV: “Yeah, it was good. I enjoyed it. We went down, there was a number of the staff that went down and yeah it was always something we were trying to do and as much as we can, we’ll do that in between our fixtures.”
He added: “In the Youth Cup, I’ve got great memories personally of the Youth Cup when I was younger. [It is] such an important competition and so for us to go and watch, it’s good to get our eyes on some of the younger players and how they’re doing. For them to feel that connection. I was really pleased with Colin [Little] and Fletch [Darren Fletcher] and the boys and I thought they played really well in tough conditions, actually. So to get a good result and move on was a good night.”
Manchester United’s under-18s face Nottingham Forest next on Saturday at 12pm.
