Manchester United fans have been left stunned after youngster Shea Lacey seemingly aimed a cryptic swipe at wantaway starlet JJ Gabriel. 

United were rocked on Tuesday when it emerged that 15-year-old Gabriel, the jewel of their academy, wanted to leave.

The incipient talent, dubbed ‘kid Messi’, left the hierarchy shocked with his request and it is understood that he has been dropped for today’s Carabao Cup match against Brighton. 

And last night, Lacey appeared to stick the boot in with a viral post which has whipped up strong emotions among the fanbase.

Lacey, 19, simply shared a picture of him arriving at Old Trafford and a love heart emoji in a post which has now been viewed 5.9 million times. 

United supporters came out in mass support in the comments, telling him ‘you are the future’ and ‘you chose to stay at United, that’s real passion my boy’. 

Shea Lacey posted this cryptic tweet after the news that JJ Gabriel wants to leave Man United

Gabriel, 15, is considered one of English football’s best talents but now wants to leave 

By contrast, Gabriel’s social media conduct has not endeared him to supporters after he wiped all reference to the club from his Instagram account.  

It should be stressed that Gabriel is not fully accountable for his decision and image – like any player, he will have a family and agency team behind him who are heavily influential. 

Daily Mail Sport’s Ian Herbert has pinned the blame for his would-be exit on the club, asking why English football’s hottest youth property would entrust his future to an institution in decline with controversial owners. 

Less than a week ago, Gabriel scored a hat-trick on his UEFA League debut against FK Sabah, becoming the youngest player in United history to do so.

Last summer, when Gabriel flirted with an exit, director of football Jason Wilcox intervened. Along with head of negotiations Matt Hargreaves, he convinced Gabriel of his route to becoming the youngest-ever first-team player. 

This season, Gabriel has been playing six years up and is thriving with the under-21s.

United sources believe there is still the possibility that the situation can be rectified given that despite the player’s request, he cannot be de-registered from the squad and his current contract runs until the end of the season.  

Eyebrows were raised when it appeared Gabriel had wiped his Instagram account of all its photos and took out all mentions of Manchester United.

Gabriel, nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’, scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League last week

Sources close to the player were quick to play down talk of discontent but it has now transpired that an explosive episode has been brewing behind the scenes, with Barcelona having spent years pursuing him, given he can leave the UK at 16 due to holding an Irish passport, allowing him to play in Europe.

Only days ago after scoring the European hat-trick Gabriel’s boss at youth level Adam Lawrence, who leads the Under-19s and the Under-21s, spoke about coaching a player like Gabriel.

‘I think the first thing in my job is not to ruin him,’ Lawrence said.

‘So when you have a talented player like JJ and the other lads of course, you obviously don’t want to stifle their freedom and their creativity. And I think essentially what you try and do is to set the team up to allow the talent to function and to play free at the right moments.

‘Of course, it can’t always be free and off the cuff in terms of some of the off-the-ball responsibilities that he’s working on and some of the pressing things that he’s thinking about. But again, in terms of how he plays properly and how he connects with other team-mates at the top end of the pitch, he’s just in a real good space.

‘If you look at that game today, I think he’s playing properly. I think he’s trying to do the right things.

‘It’s enjoyable working with him and challenging as a coach because the best players challenge you. When you work with talented players you have to find a way to help them and allow them to flourish and keep improving. Of course, there are things that you can keep working on but he is of course in a real good place.’

Asked about the people advising him, Lawrence was insistent those around him have the player’s best interests at heart.

The move has left United shocked and is a significant blow given how highly rated Gabriel is 

‘With JJ, he’s surrounded by people that really believe in him,’ Lawrence added.

‘From the top of the club right the way through. Where he’s been at the club for so long, he’s got good relationships with the players, with the staff.

‘Over the course of time that helps as well. At the moment just in terms of his game, his games programme, his training programme, making sure that he’s getting the right exposure across different levels.

‘We’re obviously not perfect but it’s definitely something we put a lot of thought into. So yeah, it’s good to see him just enjoying his football and in a good place for sure.’

But those comments come as scant consolation to supporters now with Gabriel determined to seek pastures new, particularly when a first team debut had long been earmarked for this week.