Manchester United teen Gabe Biancheri gets 1st taste of camp with Canada

CBC

4 hours ago

Born in Wales to a Canadian mother and Italian father, Gabe Biancheri has options when it comes to playing international soccer.
The 18-year-old Manchester United academy forward has already represented Wales at the youth level and attended a Welsh senior camp. Now he is getting a taste of Canada as a training player with Jesse Marsch's squad at the Canadian Shield Tournament.
Having already represented Wales at the 2023 UEFA U-17 Championship and in UEFA U-19 qualifying, Biancheri would have to make a one-time switch with FIFA to change international allegiance.
"I don't know what is going to happen next," Biancheri said of his international future. "I've got some time."
But for the time being, he is weighing his options and checking out Canada.
"All the players and all the staff have made me feel very welcome to ease me in," Biancheri said.
Biancheri's mother was born in Calgary but moved to Florida when she was six. University brought her to Wales where she met Biancheri's father, a native of Sicily who came to Wales for work.
Biancheri is also eligible for England given his grandmother on his mother's side was born in Birmingham.
While England has not yet contacted him, Italy reached out last year. Biancheri has been letting his agent handle such.
Biancheri's mother helped him prepare for his first visit to Canada.
"She was just telling me about Canada, how nice the people are," he said. "She also sang me the national anthem and sent me the lyrics. She was excited for me."
Missed Welsh U21 loss to Norway in friendly
Biancheri has been able to play tourist here, having already gone up the CN Tower.
In attending the Canada camp in Halifax and Toronto, Biancheri missed out on the Welsh under-21 side's 4-0 loss to Norway on Friday in its final friendly before opening 2027 UEFA U-21 qualifying against Denmark in September.
Biancheri spent nine years at Cardiff City FC before joining Manchester United at 16. United reportedly paid Cardiff a six-figure fee for the teenager, who signed his first pro contract upon turning 17 in September 2023.
While comfortable at Cardiff, the club he grew up supporting, Biancheri decided it was time for a move.
"I wanted to test myself and put myself in the deep end. I needed that challenge," he said.
"There were teams looking at me. But when United comes, it's very hard to say no," he added. "It's one of the biggest clubs in the world."
Last season he started with United under-18 team before moving up to the under-21 side that plays young talent from other top teams in Premier League 2.
'I'm enjoying it. Obviously being at such a big club has its benefits — travelling around. playing the best teams in the U.K. and Europe," he said.
Biancheri, who stands five-foot-10, says his favourite role is playing up front as a No. 9.
"I'm not the biggest or the fastest or the strongest, but I know where to be," he said. "And that will always get me goals. And I've got an eye for a goal as well.
'My first word was ball'
"But I can also play out wide or just behind or off the striker."
Football has always been his game. "My first word was ball," he said with a smile.
Biancheri, who has two more years plus an option on his United contract, knew Canadian defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, having played against him in England. And he talked to Fulham defender Luc de Fougerolles in advance of the Canada camp to get the lay of the land, with Marsch putting the two in contact.
Biancheri says the intensity of Canadian training sessions surprised him.
Marsch clearly likes what he sees in Biancheri.
"He's a dynamic player. He's very good around the goal," said Marsch. "He's technically gifted. You can see he's an intelligent player.
"He's a version of Jonathan David. He's not exactly the same player but he's a striker that can play up on the backline but also is good at coming underneath and connecting plays and being part of the buildup phase."
In Manchester, Biancheri still lives with a host family and one of his young United teammates.
He has already had a couple of training sessions with the United first team.
"A good experience," he said. "Watching them on TV when I was growing up and watching them on TV now and then getting a chance with them is always nice. It's good experience and it's also challenges me and develops me. And it's what I need."