AS YOU MIGHT expect for someone playing regular top-flight football at the age of 18, Jacob Devaney is hardly short of confidence.
The teenager does not hesitate when asked about his career ambitions — winning trophies with Man United and representing Ireland at the World Cup.
For now, though, he is focused on ensuring St Mirren — whom he joined on loan from the Red Devils at the end of the January transfer window — avoid relegation.
Later today, they face Kilmarnock in what is arguably the biggest game of Devaney’s young career so far.
St Mirren are currently in the relegation playoff spot, with their upcoming opponents a point ahead of them with three games remaining.
With Livingston already confirmed for the bottom spot and every other struggling side having secured breathing space in the table, it looks like it will be a battle between Kilmarnock and St Mirren to avoid 11th place.
And this afternoon’s match will have a big influence on determining the overall outcome.
Relegation-threatened teams, of course, invariably insist they are better than their position in the table suggests, as Devaney does with St Mirren, but there is substantial evidence to back up the claim in this instance.
Before the teenager joined, in December, St Mirren stunned Celtic 3-1 to win the Scottish League Cup for only the second time in their history amid Wilfried Nancy’s brief, ill-fated tenure with the Bhoys.
The Buddies gave the same opposition similar problems with Martin O’Neill in charge. Devaney impressed and completed all 120 minutes as the underdogs took the Scottish Cup semi-final to extra-time before the reigning league champions ran out 6-2 winners.
But maintaining this level of consistency has been an issue for the embattled side. It has been a turbulent campaign in general.
Stephen Robinson, the Northern Irish coach who guided the club to three consecutive top-six finishes and a return to European football after 37 years, in addition to the League Cup triumph, made a shock departure for Aberdeen in March.
So a little over a month after Devaney’s arrival, the manager who signed him was gone.
Craig McLeish has taken over as interim boss, but St Mirren’s league form has remained poor, with the team currently in the midst of a three-match losing run.
And while it has been a difficult season for the team, the teenager has been one of the bright sparks of the campaign, making 13 appearances in all competitions since his arrival.
Invariably, the Man United loanee has looked surprisingly assured in central midfield for a footballer playing his first season of men’s football.
“From an individual point of view, I think it’s been pretty positive,” he tells The 42. “But at the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s about the team,
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“And we’ve got a really big few games coming up. With the game [today], hopefully we can get a good result, and then that’ll give us a bit of momentum going into the next two.”
Martin O'Neill shakes hand with Craig McLeish at the end of the Scottish Cup semi-final. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Devaney is grateful for the faith McLeish has placed in him. Managers trusting a teenager with regular game time is rare enough in football, doubly so when the team in question is battling relegation.
The youngster cites his first goal, during the 2-1 Scottish Cup win over Airdrieonians, as his best moment so far, while also giving an honourable mention to getting the opportunity to pit his wits against Celtic in that near-miss at Hampden Park, having also been narrowly defeated by the Bhoys a week earlier at Parkhead in the league.
A combined total of 100,000 fans were in attendance for these two matches — few Irish teenagers, if any, can boast of encountering comparable experiences in recent times.
“I really think that I proved in those games that I can play against top European opposition,” he adds.
The transition has not been entirely seamless for Devaney. The technically accomplished starlet speaks of his disappointment at being left out of back-to-back fixtures near the start of his loan spell, though he has featured regularly since then.
“You’ve got to earn your place in the starting 11. And I think ever since that, I’ve earned my position.”
As hard as it is to look beyond the next three vital games, Devaney naturally has grand plans for the future.
“For the summer, it’ll be just recovering and getting myself right for pre-season
and hopefully trying to break into the first team setup with Man United and Ireland as well.”
Born in Barnsley, Devaney’s father, Martin, made over 100 appearances for the Oakwell outfit. Cheltenham Town, Bohemians and Tranmere Rovers were also among the winger’s former clubs.
Devaney’s grandparents on his father’s side hail from Dublin and Mayo, and he recalls regular childhood trips across the water for weddings and summer holidays.
“That’s why I’ve always wanted to play for Ireland, just because of the connection that I feel like I have with the country,” he explains.
He has already fulfilled this ambition at underage level, lining out several times for the U19 and U21 sides.
So is Devaney confident that senior recognition isn’t too far away?
“I’d like to think so,” he answers. “I think that’s definitely the next step for me. I feel like I’ve done well for the U21s this season. I put in some really positive performances.
“Obviously, representing Ireland was something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time, and I’m glad with the way it’s gone since I have been able to put on the Ireland shirt.”
A Boys in Green fan first and foremost, Devaney watched on in delight at the Portugal and Hungary wins earlier this season, and felt Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side deserved better in the unfortunate World Cup qualification playoff loss to Czechia after a tense penalty shootout.
“But hopefully I’ll be in and around the squads for the next qualification, and we can do it then,” he says.
Callum McGregor of Celtic fouls St Mirren's Jacob Devaney. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
With his ability to dictate games and break up play, the youngster’s performances this season have attracted plenty of hype on both sides of the Irish Sea, but he is no stranger to great expectations.
He first signed for Man United at the age of eight. For years, his parents would undertake the hour-long drive to the club, from their base in Barnsley, around four times a week.
At 14, Devaney moved out of home and into digs, as he joined United’s schooling system, making his U18s debut a year later.
There was an early setback as the precocious talent suffered a stress fracture that kept him out of action for around 18 months.
“It was tough,” he recalls. “But it helped me to develop my game in other ways.
“You know, watching other players, getting in the gym, and building a good base of strength.
“Looking back, it was probably beneficial to me now.”
Still, Devaney’s progress has been impressive — he was invited to train with United’s first team during the 2023-24 season and was named their Youth Scholar of the Year in May 2025.
And the Red Devils have been keeping an eye on Devaney’s performances in Scotland.
Gareth Whalley, the loans manager, is in regular contact to make sure everything is going okay.
First-team coach Travis Binnion and U18s boss Darren Fletcher have also been in touch.
Fletcher is one homegrown United midfielder whose career Devaney would love to emulate, while there is another, more recent example of how this pathway remains viable.
“Kobbie [Mainoo]‘s definitely someone I look up to. My journey might look a bit different to his, with me having to come out on loan to get a bit more experience, but I definitely feel like I’ve got the abilities to go and play in the Premier League, week in, week out, with Man United.”
And while Devaney is happy to listen to the experienced likes of Fletcher, he does not fall into the trap that other promising young players can succumb to by paying heed to what the average person is saying about him on social media.
“It’s my opinion that matters,” he concludes. “I believe in, and I know what I can do on a football pitch, so I just let that do the talking, really.
“I’d say the main thing [in football] is just to back yourself and back yourself, going out into the pitch, knowing how good you are, and really believing in yourself.
“Because I think without that, you’ll struggle. More than anyone, you’ve got to believe that you’re capable of doing what you want to do. That’s something that I’ve been told growing up all the time, being at Man United, you’ve got to back your ability.”
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The highly rated Irish teenager aiming to break through at Man United
AS YOU MIGHT expect for someone playing regular top-flight football at the age of 18, Jacob Devaney is hardly short of confidence.
The teenager does not hesitate when asked about his career ambitions — winning trophies with Man United and representing Ireland at the World Cup.
For now, though, he is focused on ensuring St Mirren — whom he joined on loan from the Red Devils at the end of the January transfer window — avoid relegation.
Later today, they face Kilmarnock in what is arguably the biggest game of Devaney’s young career so far.
St Mirren are currently in the relegation playoff spot, with their upcoming opponents a point ahead of them with three games remaining.
With Livingston already confirmed for the bottom spot and every other struggling side having secured breathing space in the table, it looks like it will be a battle between Kilmarnock and St Mirren to avoid 11th place.
And this afternoon’s match will have a big influence on determining the overall outcome.
Relegation-threatened teams, of course, invariably insist they are better than their position in the table suggests, as Devaney does with St Mirren, but there is substantial evidence to back up the claim in this instance.
Before the teenager joined, in December, St Mirren stunned Celtic 3-1 to win the Scottish League Cup for only the second time in their history amid Wilfried Nancy’s brief, ill-fated tenure with the Bhoys.
The Buddies gave the same opposition similar problems with Martin O’Neill in charge. Devaney impressed and completed all 120 minutes as the underdogs took the Scottish Cup semi-final to extra-time before the reigning league champions ran out 6-2 winners.
But maintaining this level of consistency has been an issue for the embattled side. It has been a turbulent campaign in general.
Stephen Robinson, the Northern Irish coach who guided the club to three consecutive top-six finishes and a return to European football after 37 years, in addition to the League Cup triumph, made a shock departure for Aberdeen in March.
So a little over a month after Devaney’s arrival, the manager who signed him was gone.
Craig McLeish has taken over as interim boss, but St Mirren’s league form has remained poor, with the team currently in the midst of a three-match losing run.
And while it has been a difficult season for the team, the teenager has been one of the bright sparks of the campaign, making 13 appearances in all competitions since his arrival.
Invariably, the Man United loanee has looked surprisingly assured in central midfield for a footballer playing his first season of men’s football.
“From an individual point of view, I think it’s been pretty positive,” he tells The 42. “But at the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s about the team,
“And we’ve got a really big few games coming up. With the game [today], hopefully we can get a good result, and then that’ll give us a bit of momentum going into the next two.”
Devaney is grateful for the faith McLeish has placed in him. Managers trusting a teenager with regular game time is rare enough in football, doubly so when the team in question is battling relegation.
The youngster cites his first goal, during the 2-1 Scottish Cup win over Airdrieonians, as his best moment so far, while also giving an honourable mention to getting the opportunity to pit his wits against Celtic in that near-miss at Hampden Park, having also been narrowly defeated by the Bhoys a week earlier at Parkhead in the league.
A combined total of 100,000 fans were in attendance for these two matches — few Irish teenagers, if any, can boast of encountering comparable experiences in recent times.
“I really think that I proved in those games that I can play against top European opposition,” he adds.
The transition has not been entirely seamless for Devaney. The technically accomplished starlet speaks of his disappointment at being left out of back-to-back fixtures near the start of his loan spell, though he has featured regularly since then.
“You’ve got to earn your place in the starting 11. And I think ever since that, I’ve earned my position.”
As hard as it is to look beyond the next three vital games, Devaney naturally has grand plans for the future.
“For the summer, it’ll be just recovering and getting myself right for pre-season
and hopefully trying to break into the first team setup with Man United and Ireland as well.”
Born in Barnsley, Devaney’s father, Martin, made over 100 appearances for the Oakwell outfit. Cheltenham Town, Bohemians and Tranmere Rovers were also among the winger’s former clubs.
Devaney’s grandparents on his father’s side hail from Dublin and Mayo, and he recalls regular childhood trips across the water for weddings and summer holidays.
“That’s why I’ve always wanted to play for Ireland, just because of the connection that I feel like I have with the country,” he explains.
He has already fulfilled this ambition at underage level, lining out several times for the U19 and U21 sides.
So is Devaney confident that senior recognition isn’t too far away?
“I’d like to think so,” he answers. “I think that’s definitely the next step for me. I feel like I’ve done well for the U21s this season. I put in some really positive performances.
“Obviously, representing Ireland was something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time, and I’m glad with the way it’s gone since I have been able to put on the Ireland shirt.”
A Boys in Green fan first and foremost, Devaney watched on in delight at the Portugal and Hungary wins earlier this season, and felt Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side deserved better in the unfortunate World Cup qualification playoff loss to Czechia after a tense penalty shootout.
“But hopefully I’ll be in and around the squads for the next qualification, and we can do it then,” he says.
With his ability to dictate games and break up play, the youngster’s performances this season have attracted plenty of hype on both sides of the Irish Sea, but he is no stranger to great expectations.
He first signed for Man United at the age of eight. For years, his parents would undertake the hour-long drive to the club, from their base in Barnsley, around four times a week.
At 14, Devaney moved out of home and into digs, as he joined United’s schooling system, making his U18s debut a year later.
There was an early setback as the precocious talent suffered a stress fracture that kept him out of action for around 18 months.
“It was tough,” he recalls. “But it helped me to develop my game in other ways.
“You know, watching other players, getting in the gym, and building a good base of strength.
“Looking back, it was probably beneficial to me now.”
Still, Devaney’s progress has been impressive — he was invited to train with United’s first team during the 2023-24 season and was named their Youth Scholar of the Year in May 2025.
And the Red Devils have been keeping an eye on Devaney’s performances in Scotland.
Gareth Whalley, the loans manager, is in regular contact to make sure everything is going okay.
First-team coach Travis Binnion and U18s boss Darren Fletcher have also been in touch.
Fletcher is one homegrown United midfielder whose career Devaney would love to emulate, while there is another, more recent example of how this pathway remains viable.
“Kobbie [Mainoo]‘s definitely someone I look up to. My journey might look a bit different to his, with me having to come out on loan to get a bit more experience, but I definitely feel like I’ve got the abilities to go and play in the Premier League, week in, week out, with Man United.”
And while Devaney is happy to listen to the experienced likes of Fletcher, he does not fall into the trap that other promising young players can succumb to by paying heed to what the average person is saying about him on social media.
“It’s my opinion that matters,” he concludes. “I believe in, and I know what I can do on a football pitch, so I just let that do the talking, really.
“I’d say the main thing [in football] is just to back yourself and back yourself, going out into the pitch, knowing how good you are, and really believing in yourself.
“Because I think without that, you’ll struggle. More than anyone, you’ve got to believe that you’re capable of doing what you want to do. That’s something that I’ve been told growing up all the time, being at Man United, you’ve got to back your ability.”
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Interview Jacob Devaney Soccer St Mirren Ireland Republic team:Manchester united (Football 42)