Jacob Devaney, the captain of Manchester United’s U21 team, feels he has “proven himself” at that level and now deserves to play senior football after landing a transfer to St Mirren for the rest of the season. In an effort to improve his development, the 18-year-old, who rose through the ranks at Old Trafford and is performing beyond his years in a leadership role, moved north of the border until the summer.
On the day of the deadline, St Mirren pounced, and United agreed to allow the U21 captain to depart for Paisley. Devaney himself saw Paisley as the perfect place to continue his quest for first-team play. “I think I’m at an age where I’m ready to play men’s football,” he said to Sky Sports. I believe I’ve demonstrated my abilities as a U21 player, and here is a fantastic club to do so at. It was obvious as soon as the offer was made.
According to Devaney, his parent club strongly supported his decision to leave: “They advised him to take advantage of the opportunity to get better, play men’s football, pick up some tips, and return a stronger player in the summer.
Manchester United confirm deadline day exit
St. Mirren’s 20 points from 23 games put them in tenth place in the Premiership standings. One of United’s academy’s most promising young prospects is Devaney. At the age of six, he enrolled in the club’s academy. Since then, he has been a consistent player in Premier League 2, starting all 11 games this season.
Although the 18-year-old has trained with the Red Devils’ first team, he has not yet participated in a game. Devaney can play right-back and central defence; however, this season he has mostly played as a defensive midfielder. United did not add any players to their first-team roster during the quiet winter transfer window.
Although their clubs were unwilling to approve an exit this winter, they have selected Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, or Elliot Anderson as their primary midfield targets.  Sam Mather, Joe Hugill, and Rhys Bennett all secured permanent deals away from Old Trafford during this window, demonstrating United’s continued focus on outgoings. In pursuit of senior football activity, Harry Amass, Toby Collyer, Gabriele Biancheri, James Scanlon, and Ethan Wheatley have departed on loan.
