Soccer Star - Nick Powell, English professional footballer

 

Nicholas Edward "Nick" Powell (born 23 March 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester United. He has also represented England at a variety of youth levels, most recently as part of the Under-19 team. He began his career at Crewe Alexandra, initially as a forward, making his debut at the age of 16. After impressing for the Cheshire team during the 2011–12 season, including scoring in their 2–0 victory in the League Two play-off Final, he sealed a move to Manchester United in the summer of 2012.

Powell joined Manchester United from Crewe Alexandra on 1 July 2012 in a deal reported to be worth up to £6 million, depending on success and appearances. He was allocated the number 25 shirt previously worn by Antonio Valencia, who took the number 7 shirt. It is also the same shirt number that he had worn at Crewe. Speaking about the signing, manager Sir Alex Ferguson stated: "We have scouted Nick for months now. He is an exceptional talent and has been schooled well at Crewe. I’m delighted he has chosen to come to United. He has a lot to offer and we are all looking forward to working with him." After the move was finalised, Powell called it a "dream come true". 

On 21 July 2012, Powell played his first match for United, coming on as a second-half substitute in a pre-season friendly against Ajax Cape Town in South Africa. Four days later, he made his first start for Manchester United in a pre-season friendly match against Shanghai Shenhua. He made his Premier League debut against Wigan Athletic, coming on as a substitute for Ryan Giggs in the 71st minute, and scoring in the 82nd.