The minimum age for a senior appearance in the Premier League is the season or school year in which that player will turn 16, according to BBC Football. This means that players must be in year 11 before they can make a senior appearance, as per the rules. For example, Arsenal winger Max Dowman made his first Premier League appearance at the start of last season as a 15-year-old, as he was turning 16 later in the campaign.
BBC Football has also reported that players cannot be offered their first professional contracts until the season that they will turn 16, and they cannot sign a professional contract until the day of their 17th birthday.
The Premier League rules for academy players are designed to ensure that young players balance their football careers with their education and personal development. As part of this, clubs are required to provide educational programmes for their academy players, and to ensure that they have access to life skills, media, financial education and driving lessons to set them up for their future careers.
BBC Football has reported that some academy players are able to excel in both their education and on the pitch, and that clubs are working to ensure that young players have more options with their career, should their hopes of making it as a professional footballer do not go to plan.
The next step for JJ Gabriel, who has handed in a formal request to leave Manchester United, is to wait and see if the club will accept his transfer request.