Jacob Devaney: Man Utd kid making impact with St Mirren

Jacob Devaney has started 11 Scottish Premiership games for St Mirren since joining on loan from Manchester United in February [Getty Images] On-loan Manchester United midfielder Jacob Devaney didn't want a Scottish Premiership relegation play-off final to be part of his learning experience at St Mirren. The 18-year-old said so when he spoke exclusively to BBC Sport last week about his time in Paisley. That seems certain to be where Devaney ends up following the 3-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock at the weekend that leaves Craig McLeish's side four points behind the Ayrshire side before Tuesday's second last game of the season away to Aberdeen.

If so, it is likely he will take it all in his stride. For Devaney is a young man who knows his own mind. The Barnsley-born Republic of Ireland international went against club wishes to accept the chance to join St Mirren for the second half of the season.

Back the team, I'll take flak - St Mirren's McLeish When defending set-pieces goes wrong... Wayne says Man Utd players didn't deserve guard of honour A number of team-mates from the United Under-21 side he captained in the first half of the campaign have struggled for regular appearances during their loan moves into the senior game. But Devaney started for the 13th time against Kilmarnock, trusted by interim manager Craig McLeish to cope in the midfield engine room despite his tender years, just as he was by Stephen Robinson before his exit for Aberdeen in March.

"St Mirren came about really late," Devaney said of the deadline-day loan switch. "There had been conversations with Travis [Binnion, who was in charge of United's youth teams] and Stephen Torpey, the head of academy, who said I'd had a really positive start to the season and thought the next step was to go out on loan. "I had somewhere else lined up, which the club wanted me to pursue, but when I heard about St Mirren, it was an opportunity I wanted to take.