Manchester United began their preparation for their first game of the Premier League season against Arsenal, and one youngster was a pleasant surprise in training.
It is an open secret that Man Utd are looking to add an athletic midfielder to the squad after signing two prolific attacking midfielders and a striker.
Ruben Amorim has made that demand quite clear on multiple occasions, and performances by his players have strengthened his case.
While talks for Carlos Baleba go on, Amorim might have wanted to try out a homegrown option because a United wonderkid, compared to Declan Rice, has been called up to first-team training ahead of the Arsenal clash.
Manchester United Training Session
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Jacob Devaney headlines youthful Man Utd training group
Ruben Amorim must have been eager to play a proper 11 vs 11 tactical setup in the lead-up to the Arsenal clash because the training group was quite large.
Many youngsters were present in the group, like Bendito Mantatao, Ethan Williams, Rhys Bennett, Jaydan Kamason, and Jacob Devaney, among others.
Devaney’s inclusion is particularly interesting because he would have played as the defensive midfielder during the team training, a position Amorim is keen to strengthen.
Devaney has been labelled “fantastic” before, and his skill set that combines press resistance with endless running and progressive passing has earned him comparisons to Declan Rice.
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He has been called up to Man Utd training before, but he has generally flown under the radar despite impressing in the academy with his leadership and maturity.
Tyler Fredricson broke onto the scene out of nowhere last season, so Amorim is clearly willing to ignore previous “rating” before deciding to trust a wonderkid.
Devaney might be able to jump the queue this season, especially if Sekou Kone’s pre-season was any indication, and the deal for Baleba keeps looking as difficult as it is.
Man Utd youngsters face a crucial season
With United not playing any European football this season, the opportunities for youngsters to break through will become difficult.
Therefore, it is important that they take any opportunity they get, either in first-team training or, ideally, in whatever senior minutes they get.
In the early parts of the season, when more places are up for grabs and there is no “form meter” to judge players on, youngsters can crash the first-team party.
Something as simple as looking the part in first-team training can win over Amorim’s trust, especially when the player plays in a position that has a clear need for a fresh face.
That is the position Devaney finds himself in. No two breakouts are created equal, and for Devaney, it could come out of nowhere if he stands out in training.