Loans are meant to get youngsters ready for the realities of senior football, so Man Utd will be glad to see Jacob Devaney experiencing the same.
Among the many loans sanctioned in January, Jacob Devaney’s move to Scottish Premiership side St Mirren was the most notable.
For a first-division side to take a bet on a player who had never played senior football in his career was notable, and his performance thereafter vindicated that decision.
Since then, however, Devaney is going through a spell that will toughen him up for senior football if he manages to come through it.
Jacob Devaney controls ball for St Mirren.
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Manchester United academy star Jim Thwaites playing in the Under-18s.
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Jacob Devaney’s rollercoaster ride at St Mirren
Devaney looked like he had the world at his feet when he made a brilliant debut for St Mirren, and followed it up with his first senior goal in his second game.
Every game for him was a landmark. His debut was followed by a goal, which was followed by his first 90-minute outing in senior football in his third game.
Since that peak, however, he was subbed off at half-time in consecutive games, both losses, one of which was a 0-5 loss.
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The game passed him by on both occasions, and the infamous “rookie wall” seemed to be hitting him.
After those two 45-minute appearances, things found a new low, as he hasn’t come off the bench in St Mirren’s last two games, marking a tough close to a spell that began with so much hype.
The reality is somewhere in between. He wasn’t the saviour of Man Utd’s midfield after a good debut in Scotland, and he shouldn’t be written off after this lean spell.
Instead, this rollercoaster of emotions will stand him in good stead for when he eventually returns to Old Trafford in the summer.
Devaney’s spell is perfect to toughen him up for Man Utd
It goes without saying that both Devaney and United would have preferred for him to continue to go from strength to strength after a strong start on loan.
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Jay McEvoy in white Manchester United third kit.
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However, what he’s going through now has its own charm as it will test Devaney’s mentality, which is one of the key requirements to succeed at United.
Nothing lasts forever, good or bad, so for Devaney to experience both the good and the bad on his first loan spell in the very first games is a priceless experience.
When he escapes the bad to find form again, he will be a much better player mentally than he would have been without any setbacks.
The challenge lies in actually escaping that bad spell instead of getting caught up in it, and Devaney has given no reason to think that he won’t be able to.
This is the perfect challenge to toughen him up because it’s a microcosm of the rollercoaster senior football always is, especially at a club as intensely scrutinised as Man Utd.
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