Manchester United teenager Jacob Devaney has joined Hibernian on loan for the season after interest from 'a lot' of clubs. The 19-year-old spent the second half of the last campaign on loan in Scotland at St Mirren and has now returned north of the border.
Pre-season involvement and academy pedigree
The midfielder has been involved with the Manchester United first team during pre-season, appearing in friendlies alongside his household name teammates. He scored in a 5-0 win over Rosenborg in July after coming off the bench.
Devaney is yet to make his first team debut for the Red Devils but has been a big figure in the academy set-up, captaining the Under-21 side at just 18 years old. Born in Barnsley, where his father Martin played from 2005-11, Devaney has been capped up to Under-21 level by Republic of Ireland.
Hibs' delight at securing the midfielder
Now he will continue his football development with Hibernian, who finished fifth in the Scottish Premiership last season and will hope to be in the Europa Conference League this season, taking on Gent in qualifying next week.
Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay said: 'We're delighted to welcome a player of Jacob's calibre to Hibernian FC. He's a young player with an excellent background and, importantly, he already has experience of playing in the Scottish Premiership. A lot of clubs were understandably interested in Jacob, so we're delighted that he saw his future at Hibs. I would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts in getting this deal over the line. It's an exciting opportunity for Jacob and for the Club, and we're really looking forward to seeing what he can bring to Hibs.'
Manager David Gray added: 'We're really pleased to bring Jacob to the Club. He already has experience of Scottish football and knows the demands of the Premiership, which will be important as he settles into the squad. He's a technically talented young international footballer who is keen to learn and develop, and we're looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the group. To have him join before the end of the window is really positive, and we'll look to get him settled in as quickly as possible.'
