Scout report: Nick Powell’s continued rise to stardom

Wigan Athletic’s Nick Powell celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Europa League group D football match between Wigan Athletic and NK Maribor at The DW stadium in Wigan

“I kick a ball around for a living… For ManUtd. YouKnowTheDrill – Respect. Be respected.”

That’s the description on young Nick Powell’s Twitter bio.

The lad must be pretty modest because he can kick the football around well enough to score goals and lay on assists.

The loan system has come to represent a win-win situation for Manchester United over the last few years in terms of developing young talent. And it looks like this year too United have pulled off a smart move by loaning out midfielder Nick Powell to Wigan Athletic.

The name of Nick Powell was doing the rounds this Friday after his impressive showing that helped Wigan to an impressive 3-1 win over Maribor at the DW Stadium in what was the Latics’ first ever European game on home soil.

Powell had two goals to his name, the second of them being a delightful effort that saw him take on two defenders, beat them with his dribble and score past the Maribor keeper with a nicely placed shot.

The goals scored notwithstanding, Powell and Wigan could have scored a whole lot more. Powell himself had an early chance to put Wigan in front, but his push was too weak and was saved by the keeper. He also went on to chip another effort wide in the second half as well as hit the post once with his effort off Jean Beausejour’s cross.

A timely loan move

Powell, 19, was signed by Manchester United last summer from League Two outfit Crewe Alexandra, his home-town club. The deal was set to be in the region of £6 million, accounting for the clauses that included future success and appearances.

He was always a signing for the future, even with the huge void that existed in the heart of United’s midfield, and consequently ended up making a total of just six appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions – two each in the league, League Cup and UEFA Champions League.

David Moyes, who replaced Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager, has so far shown an inclination to loaning out talented youngsters before giving them a bigger role in the main team. He has done the same for Wilfried Zaha, who despite being bought for over £12 million in January of this year and being amongst the most impressive players on United’s pre-season tour, has not featured much in the first team.

The deadline day loan deal also made perfect sense for Powell as Wigan manager Owen Coyle barely had time to use the funds that he had received from the sale of James McCarthy to Everton. As a result, Powell fits readily into that role vacated by McCarthy and has become an integral part of Coyle’s plan.

Coyle had this to say about Powell just before the game against Maribor: “Nick is going to be an outstanding player. He’s improved already, but there’s still so much more to come from him and Manchester United will end up with a real gem of a lad.”

Coincidentally, Powell’s first-ever goal for United and first in the Premier League came against Wigan in a 4-0 win for the Manchester side on September 15, 2012, coming on as a substitute in the 71st minute for Ryan Giggs.

The ideal platform

It has worked for Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck in the past, and therefore there is good reason to believe that United would indeed get an improved product in Nick Powell for their campaign next term. (Bebe’s case remains a bit of an aberration).

In the meanwhile, going back a rung to the Championship and playing for a team that is looking to get back into the Premiership at the earliest is a good place to be.

Couple that with the fact that Wigan have always played an attractive brand of football right from their time under Paul Jewell to Roberto Martinez and now Owen Coyle, and it seems like a win-win situation for everyone.

Powell has made six appearances so far this season for Wigan – three times in the Championship, once in the League Cup and twice in the Europa League.

Two of his three appearances in the Championship were starts and he already has one goal to his name. He bagged a double last night to open his scoring record in Europe and in the two games so far Powell has put in an assured performance, much like he did when he played for United against Galatasaray in the Champions League last year.

Nicholas Powell of England during a match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico in 2011

What’s aided Powell is the mini-injury crisis in the forward area of the pitch for Wigan – Grant Holt, Shaun Maloney and Marc-Antoine Fortune are all out injured. This has forced Coyle to play Powell in a much more advanced role as a forward and so far, thanks to the youngster’s goal-scoring prowess and exemplary movement, the move has reaped rich rewards.

All his goals for the season and the lone assist have come when he’s played in this position. His average pass completion rate for the season stands at 73%; that is likely to go up if he plays in the midfield more, but Coyle wouldn’t mind that right now.

He has also picked up two Man-of-the-Match awards already in six appearances – one against Ipswich in the Championship and the second last night against Maribor.

Playing style

Nick Powell is a central midfielder with a good shot on him. He shows good composure on the ball and his pace and finishing are two of his exemplary attributes. His has a good dribble, as shown during his second goal last night, and is known for his movement with the ball at his feet. He has also shown an innate knack of ghosting into the box to score goals, an ability that was the hallmark of a young Paul Scholes.

At Crewe, he primarily played as an attacking midfielder and was given a free role in attack. Owen Coyle has put him to similarly good use in some of the games this season for Wigan. He has the ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations and has a good eye for goal.

His calm demeanour also means he has a level head on his shoulders and some of the coaches and managers who have overseen his development have touted him as leadership material. So apart from the midfield general that Manchester United will hope he develops into, they also have a potential captain-in-the-making in their ranks.

Superstar at Crewe

Of course, it is not that Nick Powell has suddenly morphed into this dazzling prospect overnight. We saw glimpses of it in a Manchester United uniform in the limited minutes that he played and even before that, it was evident to those around him at Crewe where he lapped up a string of honours. His ability and performances drew the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson, whose eye for scouting young talent has been known to be quite remarkable.

In April 2012, Powell became the first player to win every award at Crewe’s end of season ceremony for the 2011-12 campaign – Goal of the Season (for his 30-yard strike in a 4-3 win over Gillingham), Young Player of the Year, and Player of the Year. He finished that season as the club’s top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions.

Outside of club football, Powell has also gone on to represent the Three Lions at the under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 and under-21 levels. His development must come as some relief to England fans as well who are by now surely tired of the over-reliance on Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in midfield.

This is what Crewe’s director of football, Dario Gradi, had to say in 2012 before the sale of Powell, on what Ferguson had seen in the young midfielder:

“He said to me, ‘I wanted to see him. He is athletic he’s a good size, he’s good physically and he’s bright, he knows where people are around him. His clever with his play, he’s not just twinkle toes’. Nick’s got a brain and a desire and Alex spotted it on the strength of one outing.”

A brain, a desire and some pretty good skill to go along with all of that.