Jacob Devaney lays down a marker as his senior career begins

🎥 The 18-year-old Irish midfielder shone for his loan club St. Mirren

It was Jacob Devaney’s (18, AM) performance for Ireland against the England U21’s at St. Andrews in mid-November that provided our first in-depth assessment of his prowess in the middle of the park. For large parts of that brilliant display, despite the ultimate loss, by the young Boys in Green the Manchester United youngster was simply the best player on the pitch. It wasn't just his energy, his harrying, his ability to pick a pass but also his threat in front of and some distance out from goal. Combined with all the positive noises coming out of Old Trafford it felt like we could have the real deal on our hands.