Manchester United youngster Jacob Devaney has made his ambitions crystal clear after an impressive loan spell at Scottish Premiership side St Mirren.

The 18-year-old academy graduate joined the Buddies late in the January transfer window, seeking regular first-team football after captaining United's Under-21s in Premier League 2 during the first half of the season.

Devaney has wasted no time making his mark north of the border. Despite St Mirren's struggles, he's been a mainstay in the starting XI, making his 13th start in Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Kilmarnock. His sole goal for Craig McLeish's side came in the Scottish FA Cup, showcasing the attacking instincts that made him a standout at youth level.

With St Mirren sitting four points behind Kilmarnock ahead of Tuesday's season penultimate clash at Aberdeen, Devaney has been reflecting on his development. Speaking to the BBC, he revealed how the move came together quickly.

"St Mirren came about really late," Devaney explained. "There had been conversations with Travis [Binnion] 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."

Interestingly, the teenager had another club lined up before St Mirren entered the picture. "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. I've grown up having an eye on the Scottish league and I thought it would be a great opportunity. I'm happy with how it's gone."

Devaney also drew comparisons between playing at Celtic Park and his home ground at Old Trafford. "It was the first game where we were driving up to the stadium and it reminded me a lot of Old Trafford. When I went to games there as a kid, you've got the stalls with the scarfs and there's hundreds of people outside the stadium watching you walk in."

For a player who's clearly thriving on the big stage, the message to Manchester United is clear: Devaney is ready for the next chapter at Old Trafford.