As one of the youngsters to impress in Manchester United’s first pre-season friendly of the summer, Jacob Devaney is ticking a lot of boxes that will help him succeed.
It is no secret that Jacob Devaney is already thought highly of at Manchester United, after impressing in the youth teams and proving himself on the senior stage on loan at St Mirren last season.
United may have lost 1-0 against Wrexham on Saturday, but Devaney played the second half in an unfamiliar role at centre-back and earned praise from Michael Carrick.
As a young midfielder trying to break into a first team lacking depth in the position, Devaney is showing encouraging signs that give him every chance of becoming part of Carrick’s plans in the future.
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Jacob Devaney eager to make it at Man Utd
After a successful second half of the 2025/26 season on loan at St Mirren – where he proved he belongs at senior level – Devaney is determined to keep pushing toward his ultimate goal: playing for United week in, week out.
Unlike Radek Vitek, who has made it clear that he wants to leave United for regular first-team football, Devaney is happy to go out on loan again this season if it helps him achieve his objective of making it at Old Trafford.
Devaney impressed in an unnatural position on Saturday, and that will give Carrick something to think about ahead of the new season. Not that the Republic of Ireland youth international is going to be stepping in at centre-back, but that he is versatile and more than capable of following instructions out of his comfort zone.
Managing 100% accuracy with 65 passes against Wrexham, Devaney got his head up in deep positions to get the ball down the flank or into the midfield area. He also made two recoveries and helped United pin the Championship side into their box for the majority of the second half.
Devaney still has a lot to prove to Carrick and his coaching staff. The youngster is willing to go out on loan again this season if it helps his career, though his main objective is to make it at United – playing in the first team every week.
“The main aim for me is to play for Manchester United week in, week out,” Devaney told BBC Sport.
“Obviously, I want to play first-team football, so whatever this is at United, learning from the best, for the next year or if I have to go on loan again and gain more valuable experience, like I did at St Mirren, that’s what I’ll do.”
Devaney is open-minded about the future, but you can also tell he is determined not only to improve but also to make it at United after coming through the academy.
There is no denying that Devaney has the hunger to succeed at United and achieve his objective, but a lot of things still need to happen for that to become a reality.
The young midfielder needs to keep doing what he is doing, which is easier said than done.
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Jacob Devaney returned to Manchester United this summer following a successful loan at St Mirren
- The young midfielder impressed Michael Carrick at centre-back against Wrexham
- Devaney’s main objective is to become a first team regular at United
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Jacob Devaney dealt with Wales international Kieffer Moore
Kieffer Moore has been a centre-forward in the Wales national team since making his international debut in 2019, but the Wrexham star was unable to cause any problems for Devaney.
Devaney was part of a side that kept a clean sheet in the second half, although they were unable to find a way past the Championship outfit to level the scoring.
After playing against Moore, Devaney said: “It goes without saying he’s a big physical threat.
“He’s had a good career. It’s nice to test yourself against someone like him games like that.
“I played in multiple positions in the past year or two. No matter who I’m up against, whether it’s the lads in training or lads like Kieffer Moore, I’ll apply myself, give 100% and always back myself to come out on top.”
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