{"id":281702,"date":"2026-02-05T07:30:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T07:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/281702\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T07:30:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T07:30:14","slug":"future-ireland-star-announces-himself-with-stellar-st-mirren-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/281702\/","title":{"rendered":"Future Ireland Star Announces Himself With Stellar St. Mirren Debut"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ireland U21 international Jacob Devaney was in superb form on Tuesday, as he made his first appearance for St. Mirren after joining on loan from Manchester United.<\/p>\n<p>18-year-old Devaney <a href=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/manchester-united-prospect-st-mirren-move-ireland-648789\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">completed the move on deadline day<\/a>, one of several United academy players to secure loans away from Old Trafford.<\/p>\n<p>\n        Recommended\n    <\/p>\n<p>                        <a :href=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/article.url\" :title=\"article.title\" :aria-label=\"article.title\" class=\"not-prose col-span-2 md:col-span-1 ga-event\" data-category=\"Recommended Article Tracker\" data-action=\"click\" :data-label=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/article.url\" :data-value=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/article.url\"><\/p>\n<p>                                            <img class=\"aspect-video\" width=\"130\" height=\"73\" :src=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/article.image\" :alt=\"'Image for: ' + article.title\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><\/p>\n<p>The English-born midfielder has lined out for Ireland at underage level, and is captain of United&#8217;s U21 side having been named Youth Scholar of the Year last May.<\/p>\n<p>However, Devaney himself reportedly pushed for the move to gain experience of playing at senior level.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s safe to say he impressed in his first ever senior game of football on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p>Devaney was throw in from the start by St. Mirren manager Stephen Robinson for the Premiership clash at home against Hearts.<\/p>\n<p>St. Mirren would claim a dramatic late win against the league leaders, with Devaney playing a massive role in the incident which saw Hearts reduced to 10 men in the first half.<\/p>\n<p>The ball broke in Devaney&#8217;s direction, and the Irishman was first to the ball ahead of Craig Halkett, who drew the red card with a clumsy lunge with Devaney in on goal.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udfe5 Craig Halkett has been sent off for denying a goal scoring opportunity! \u2935\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0A4qAqjOF4\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/0A4qAqjOF4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScotlandSky\/status\/2018785329642160494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ireland&#8217;s Jacob Devaney earned massive plaudits from fans and pundits after announcing himself with a gritty display.<\/p>\n<p>READ HERE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/ireland-players-january-moves-2026-647596\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Every Ireland Player That Switched Clubs During January Transfer Window<\/a><\/p>\n<p>READ HERE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/johnny-kenny-ireland-european-snub-648825\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fans Baffled To See Ireland Star Turn Down European Giants For League One Move<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Irish youngster Jacob Devaney stars on St. Mirren debut<\/p>\n<p>Jacob Devaney spoke to Sky Sports after his debut for St. Mirren on Tuesday evening, and said he had &#8220;really enjoyed&#8221; his debut in professional football.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, he said that the physicality of senior football was &#8220;different&#8221; to what he was used to with the Ireland and Manchester United U21s, but that he was ready to fight in midfield.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, it was great. I really enjoyed it, playing in front of the fans. It was a great atmosphere. I couldn&#8217;t have asked for it to go any better, especially with the win at the end.<\/p>\n<p>It was a lot different to what I&#8217;m used to. But, you know, I really took it in my stride, and I thought I put on a good performance.<\/p>\n<p>I feel I can really kick on from now, keep grinding out performances.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s clear that Devaney has settled quickly in Scotland, judging by his remarks on his teammates.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I thought it was fine, I thought we linked up pretty well,&#8221; Devaney said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t feel like I was a newcomer, I felt like I fitted right in. I enjoyed it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Irishman is clearly not lacking in confidence, and there are likely to be plenty more performances coming down the line if he continues to play like this.<\/p>\n<p>St. Mirren fans were certainly enamoured with their new midfielder after the win over Hearts.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Post a picture of Jacob Devaney. I\u2019ll start. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EcPv1mGeej\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/EcPv1mGeej<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Part Time Fan \ud83c\udff4\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f (@PTFblog) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PTFblog\/status\/2018811101971189965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udc3c | JACOB DEVANEY &#8211; ST.MIRREN v Hearts \u2b50\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p>\u25fd\ufe0f 70&#8242; mins played<br \/>\u25fd\ufe0f 49 touches<br \/>\u25fd\ufe0f Acc. Passes &#8211; 26\/32 (81%)<br \/>\u25fd\ufe0f Clearances &#8211; 4<br \/>\u25fd\ufe0f Fouls Won &#8211; 4 (1 Leading to Halkett being sent off)<br \/>\u25fd\ufe0f Ground Duels Won &#8211; 6\/9 (67%)<br \/>\u25fd\ufe0f Aerial Duels Won &#8211; 2\/4 (50%)<\/p>\n<p>Devaney wanted to leave Man United\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/L4y6Mm6v4T\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/L4y6Mm6v4T<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hit The Byline &#8211; Analysis (@HitTheByline) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HitTheByline\/status\/2018805168905552348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Note to everyone associated with Man Utd. <\/p>\n<p>Jacob Devaney is rubbish, absolutely hopeless. <\/p>\n<p>You should just let us keep hold of him for good, we&#8217;ll shoulder your burden. We&#8217;ll even chip in and give you 50 grand for him. <\/p>\n<p>Cheers!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Chaps (@rtchaps84) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rtchaps84\/status\/2018955286543790106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jacob Devaney looks like he&#8217;s been in that team years alongside Gogic \ud83d\udc4f<\/p>\n<p>Great first half.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Irish Buddies (@Irish_Buds) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Irish_Buds\/status\/2018790388455358550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">jacob devaney btw, what a player he\u2019ll be for us till the end of the season \ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 rosie (@rosiesmith1877) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rosiesmith1877\/status\/2018812461177254269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A statement performance from Jacob Devaney.<\/p>\n<p>The Barnsley-born midfielder has played six times for the Ireland U21s, making his debut at just 17 years old last June.<\/p>\n<p>Back at Manchester United, there was good news for another Irish underage international in the club&#8217;s academy.<\/p>\n<p>Ireland&#8217;s Jack Moorhouse features in Manchester United training<\/p>\n<p>Jack Moorhouse figured in several matchday squads for Ruben Amorim during an injury crisis mid-season, and he has clearly done something to impress new boss Michael Carrick.<\/p>\n<p>The Ireland U21 star was pictured taking part in United first-team training on Wednesday morning, as the side prepares to host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Moorhouse evidently remains highly rated at Old Trafford, and reports suggest he could yet feature for the senior side this season.<\/p>\n<p>Daily Mail journalist Nathan Salt suggested that Moorhouse could be in contention to return to the matchday squad should injury or suspension befall midfielders Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo or Manuel Ugarte.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Keep an eye on how it goes for Jack Moorhouse between now and the end of the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Should be next man up in midfield if anything happens to Casemiro, Mainoo or Ugarte imo <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/mufc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#mufc<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/n5wtR3bgOY\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/t.co\/n5wtR3bgOY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nathan Salt (@NathSalt1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NathSalt1\/status\/2019012907087081968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>With midfielder Mason Mount absent from training on Wednesday, there may be a chance for Jack Moorhouse to work his way onto the bench for Saturday&#8217;s game against Spurs.<\/p>\n<p>The last Ireland international to play for Manchester United was Robbie Brady in 2012.<\/p>\n<p>If Jacob Devaney and Jack Moorhouse can continue on their current trajectories, we may not be far away from ending that streak.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>SEE ALSO: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/league-of-ireland-2026-kit-rankings-648827\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Definitive Ranking Of Every 2026 League Of Ireland Home Kit<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.balls.ie\/football\/league-of-ireland-2026-kit-rankings-648827\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"557\" width=\"991\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/future-ireland-star-announces-himself-with-stellar-st-mirren-debut.png\" alt=\"2026 League of Ireland jersey rankings\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-648858 max-w-970 w-full\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ireland U21 international Jacob Devaney was in superb form on Tuesday, as he made his first appearance for&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":281703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[61,60,112],"class_list":{"0":"post-281702","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}