Jacob Devaney grew up around Manchester United, which is exactly why his comparison between Celtic Park and Old Trafford should catch attention.
The St Mirren midfielder, currently on loan from Manchester United, did not offer generic praise after facing Celtic. He described an atmosphere and matchday experience that instantly reminded him of one of the biggest stadiums in world football.
With Celtic’s worldwide brand already known, Devaney’s praise backs that up as he compares the Parkhead club to the giants of Manchester United.
Devaney in no doubt that Celtic Park atmosphere is as good as Old Trafford
Devaney said: “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.
“Playing in front of 60,000 is not something I had done before, but that was another thing that attracted me to this league.
“Once you get the first minute out the way and you’ve taken it all in, you blank it out. I’ve said that to my family, although they don’t quite understand how you can do that.
“For the level I want to go and play at, playing in front of crowds like that is obviously going to help.”
How much of a difference did the Green Brigade make to the Celtic Park atmosphere?
Let us know in the comments if you were at the game.
Jacob Devaney quickly understood what makes Celtic different
Devaney’s comments carry weight because he has already experienced football around an elite club environment.
He has also already faced Celtic twice this season, including in the Scottish Cup semi-final, so this was not an outsider making assumptions about the atmosphere at Celtic Park.
The most striking part of his comments was how familiar the experience felt to him. Supporters surrounding the stadium, scarf stalls outside the ground and thousands of fans watching players arrive are details associated with major football institutions.
That is what Celtic still represents to many young players coming through elite academy systems.
Celtic still gives ambitious players a stage few clubs can match
Celtic has long provided an environment where players either embrace it quickly or struggle with it.
Jeremie Frimpong’s rise after Celtic remains one of the clearest examples of how performing under that pressure can accelerate a player’s development.
Devaney’s comments showed Celtic Park still leaves an impression on players who have already been exposed to huge football clubs.
There are not many stadiums in Britain capable of making a Manchester United youngster instantly think of Old Trafford.
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