Manchester United loanee Jacob Devaney nominated for Republic of Ireland U21 player of the year
Manchester United loanee Jacob Devaney has been nominated for the Republic of Ireland's U21 Player of the Year award.
Plying his trade with Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership, the defensive midfielder has enjoyed a breakthrough year, initially joining St Mirren on a half-season loan.
Despite the club's struggles—finishing 11th in the league and entering the relegation play-offs—Devaney made 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring once and providing an assist as he helped the side reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup. He also featured for the full 180 minutes across the play-off tie, as St Mirren narrowly secured their place in the Scottish Premiership for the following season with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Partick Thistle.
At Hibernian, however, both Devaney and the club have endured a difficult campaign. David Gray, who brought the midfielder to Easter Road, was sacked in September. Under new boss Marink Reedijk, Devaney has been afforded just seven minutes of football. He was sent off in the Dutchman's first game in charge, against Dundee United, before subsequently spending time on the sidelines through injury.
The midfielder has only recently returned to fitness. Despite his struggles to break into the starting XI, Hibernian have enjoyed some success in the cup, reaching the Scottish League Cup final after beating fierce rivals Hearts 2-1 in the semi-finals.
Their league form has been less convincing, though, with the club sitting 10th after winning just three of their 12 matches.
Devaney's performances for the Republic of Ireland U21 side have been far more impressive. He has featured in all but one of their matches this year, even captaining the side in a goalless international friendly against Qatar.
Across the September and October international breaks, Ireland knew they needed to win all three of their fixtures to stand any chance of reaching the U21 European Championship play-offs. They delivered in style, beating their closest challengers Slovakia 2-0 before following it up with a seven-goal thriller, defeating Kazakhstan 4-3. They rounded off the campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over group leaders England, securing their place in the play-offs.
On November 13, Devaney and his teammates will travel to Finland for a difficult first leg before hosting them in the return fixture on November 17. Victory across the two-legged tie would secure Ireland a place at the 2027 U21 European Championship, marking their first-ever qualification for the tournament.
However, despite Devaney's impressive performances for the U21 side in recent months, they will not count towards his chances of winning the individual award. The voting period covers performances between June 2025 and May 2026.
During that time, Devaney established himself in the U21 setup, making seven appearances.
The other nominees are Tottenham's Mason Melia and Brighton's Jamie Mullins, with the winner set to be announced on the day of the second leg against Finland in the FAI's 36th annual International Awards.
Devaney has established himself as a dependable option for U21 manager Jim Crawford. Should the United youngster make an impression across the two fixtures against Finland, he could soon find himself knocking on the door of Heimir Hallgrimsson's senior squad.
