Man Utd loanee, 18, enjoys dream debut hours after transfer to throw a major spanner in Scottish title race

MANCHESTER UNITED loanee Jacob Devaney got off to a flying start at St Mirren hours after completing his short-term move.

The United Under 21s captain played a huge role in St Mirren’s 1-0 win over Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts.

Thrust into the starting lineup just 24 hours after his arrival, Devaney made an immediate impact—taking charge of set-pieces and drawing a crucial red card against the Scottish league leaders.

The 18-year-old midfielder joined St Mirren for the remainder of the season to gain regular minutes at senior level and cover the sale of Evan Mooney to Arsenal.

Mooney had made 23 appearances since making his first-team debut in October 2024, but all 15 this season came from the bench.

Well-placed sources indicated that Devaney was delighted to seal a loan because he felt he had outgrown academy football.

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Devaney, who joined United aged seven, played 70 minutes as Stephen Robinson made five changes to the side that started in their goalless draw with Dundee on Saturday.

Robinson wasted no time throwing the Yorkshire-born playmaker into his midfield against arguably the toughest opposition in Scotland right now.

Hearts centre-back Craig Halkett was sent off in the 29th minute for denying Devaney a goalscoring opportunity with a reckless foul just outside the box.

Devaney was also on corner duty on his debut for his host club and showed his maturity with media duties after the game on Tuesday night.

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Hearts remain six points ahead of Celtic as they were beaten for only the third time in the league this season, with Miguel Freckleton’s 88th-minute header ending a poor run of form for the hosts.

Devaney told Sky Sports: “It was great. I enjoyed it. Playing in front of the fans. There was a great atmosphere.

“I couldn’t have asked for it to have gone any better, especially with the win at the end.”

When asked about the step up to senior football, Devaney added: “It was a lot different to what I’m used to, but I really took it in my stride.

“I thought I put on a good performance, and I think I can really kick on now.”

United recalled Jack Moorhouse from his Leyton Orient loan on deadline day and the 18-year-old has been training with the first team this week.

Former United academy graduate Dylan Levitt has joined the League One side so Moorhouse’s minutes would have been restricted.

Devaney has made 22 appearances for United’s U21s this season, and has also played six times for Republic of Ireland U21s.

His dad Martin, who is a former pro and current coach at League One side Port Vale, previously joked that his son is the “best No6 at United”.

United’s U21s beat West Brom 5-1 in Devaney’s absence, with Shea Lacey scoring a hat-trick.