17-year-old Man Utd wonderkid labelled ‘fantastic’ after ‘polished’ U21 international debut in brand new position

Manchester United youngsters have been catching the eye with their performances at an international level this week.While the senior stars have been stealing the headlines for Manchester United over the past week, several youngsters have enjoyed impressive periods with their respective national teams.For starters, Chido Obi has been among the goals for Denmark U20, establishing himself as arguably the best player at the Maurice Revello Tournament in France with two goals and an assist so far after three games, ahead of a semi-final clash with Saudi Arabia.Sekou Kone was also in this tournament with Mali, in which he provided two assists in three group stage games, continuing on from an impressive post-season tour for United.Elsewhere, Gabriele Biancheri has been in the Canadian senior national team training squad as he looks set to decide his allegiances soon.However, now it is the Republic of Ireland’s U21s that have seen United involvement.READ MORE: Manchester United’s Best Academy Players of All TimePhoto by Selim Sudheimer/Getty Images for DFBJacob Devaney lauded by Jim Crawford after Ireland U21 debutJacob Devaney is establishing himself to be an Irish youth international at the moment. Having impressed for the U19s in March, he earned a call-up into the U21 side for the latest round of internationals.The United academy midfield talent made his debut for the U21s this week when they faced Qatar’s U23 side in a friendly. Speaking with the Irish Examiner, the Republic of Ireland head coach Jim Crawford has praised Devaney among others, admitting his performance to be one of a few that turned heads in the dugout.“A really young team with a 17-year-old playing right back, in which he was fantastic, Jacob Devaney.“There was a lot of pleasing aspects for individuals, but what we need going into the (Euro 2027 qualifying) campaign is competitive players.“Certainly here, players have sort of turned staff members’ heads, if you like, to say, ‘yeah, I’m ready to be selected for September’.“This is one step away from the senior team. This isn’t easy. Some of the players have probably been ever-present in squads, from 15s, 16s, 17s, and so on. Now, all of a sudden, when they get to 21s, the player pool gets a little bit bigger. “We just need to be competitive in all areas of the pitch with regards to our squads. I’m happy with that. To bring up boys like Jacob, like Cathal O’Sullivan, like Andrew Wogan, a lot of really good, polished performances that we’re delighted with.”Jacob’s dad, Barnsley assistant manager Martin Devaney, congratulated his son after making his debut. Devaney is a midfielder by trade, although has added right back to his list of positions.Jacob Devaney is one of the biggest unsung talents at Manchester UnitedDevaney is a name that most United supporters will know, yet he is far from being one of the academy household names in the same way that Shea Lacey, Amir Ibragimov, and JJ Gabriel are.However, this doesn’t make Devaney any less talented, with the midfielder proving to be versatile, hard working, reliable, mature, and importantly also technically gifted.Devaney was named the 2024-25 United scholar of the year by the Premier League, which is a testament to his character as a player. He has been trusted by the club for some big moments, such as speaking at the Munich memorial service.Devaney is a born leader and has been so impressive for the academy in recent seasons, now we expect to see him stepping into the U21 side for United next season under Travis Binnion.He doesn’t always do the flashy work, but he is a player who can be vital in successful teams and also one Sir Alex Ferguson would love.