St Mirren officially sign Manchester United midfielder

Manchester United have shown signs of progress since Michael Carrick was appointed interim manager, with key players stepping up in the Premier League and young talent starting to push for opportunities.

Despite the challenges in the top flight, the club remain committed to integrating homegrown talent and building a squad capable of competing at the highest level.

Game time for emerging stars is seen as crucial to bridging the gap between academy football and the rigours of senior professional matches.

Manchester United have increasingly used strategic loan moves to accelerate development, ensuring their brightest prospects gain valuable experience in competitive environments.

This approach reflects the club’s broader vision of nurturing talent internally while preparing them for first-team responsibilities.

Jacob Devaney, the captain of Manchester United’s Under-21 side, has now completed a loan move to Scottish Premiership outfit St Mirren for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, as revealed on their website.

Taking to their official website, St Mirren announced: “St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce the loan signing of Jacob Devaney from Manchester United, subject to international clearance.”

The statement continued: “The 18-year-old midfielder joins Saints from the English giants until the end of the season.

“Named Manchester United Youth Scholar of the Year in May 2025, Devaney is a highly-rated prospect at Old Trafford and captains the Red Devils’ U21 side where he has made 22 appearances this season.

“The Yorkshire-born midfielder has also been capped six times by Republic of Ireland at U21 level.”

Speaking for the first time after the move, Devaney commented: “I’m very excited. It’s a great opportunity for me to come here, do well and try to help the lads finish the season strong.”

He continued: “As soon as the offer came up it was something that me and my family looked at, and thought was a great opportunity.

“I see it as a big step in my career to go and prove myself. Everything he [the manager] said was really positive and that’s why I’m here today.

“I’m a hard-working midfielder. I cover a lot of distance, I do a bit at both ends defending and like to get forward as well. Something I’ve worked on this season is my finishing, scoring goals and getting assists and I’ve added that this year.”

The 18-year-old midfielder, who has impressed throughout the campaign with his leadership and technical quality, will now gain his first taste of senior professional football.

His move to St Mirren is designed to provide regular first-team minutes in a competitive league, allowing him to test himself against experienced players while continuing his development.

Jacob Devaney has been a standout performer at Under-21 level, captaining his side and contributing four goals and assists so far this season, despite suffering an injury in December of last year.

This loan marks the next step in his career, giving him the chance to adapt to the physical and tactical demands of senior football.

St Mirren, competing in the Scottish top flight, offer an ideal environment for Devaney to develop, with the opportunity to play consistently against strong opposition and gain exposure to high-pressure matches.

For Manchester United, this loan fits perfectly with their strategy of using competitive senior football to nurture their most promising youth talent.