Manchester United’s academy is a rich conveyor belt of talent right now and Erik ten Hag is giving them a platform to impress.
One of the reasons Erik ten Hag was hired as manager of Manchester United was his commitment to youth. At Ajax he helped bring through a generation of talent, handing debuts to 23 different youth players.
Many at Manchester United feel he has not gone far enough in this regard. He’s had a more ruthless approach, but he has made clear he will give opportunities to the talents he considers to be really special. Five academy players have made their debuts so far and more will follow.
One of the ways the manager is able to keep on top of the academy talent coming through is the way he regularly mixes them into his first team training sessions.
Jacob Devaney in first team training
One of the young players to enter the fray at Carrington on Thursday was 16-year-old midfield talent Jacob Devaney.
Devaney is a holding midfielder who is only 16. He has been an integral part of the league leading under-18s side this season, with 20 appearances to date.
The teenager, who turns 17 in June, has two assists this season, doing most of his good work by sitting deep and feeding the forward players.
He was joined in the first team mix by left-back Harry Amass, and another midfielder, Zach Baumann.
Devaney trained alongside senior stars like Raphael Varane, Alejandro Garnacho, Diogo Dalot and Victor Lindelof.
Teenager Kobbie Mainoo has set a strong example for Manchester United’s academy talents, making his England international debut this past week.
What is next for Jacob Devaney
Devaney is a player worth keeping an eye on. While he doesn’t play in a position where he can grab attention with a lot of goals, his work at the base of midfield is key to letting others shine.
Erik ten Hag once helped Frenkie de Jong flourish in the same role at Ajax, and he will be looking to see if Devaney’s traits can be harnessed in a similar way, as these players are hard to find.
He made his debut for United’s under-18s side last April when he was just 15, in a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough.
United are yet to push him up to under-21 level, but this won’t be far away. Baumann, 17, was moved up in February, and it is probable that Devaney gets some minutes with the under-21s before the end of the current season.
Ten Hag’s coaching staff will have taken notes on how he performed in training, and he is a player we can expect to see more of.