Meet Nick Powell - Manchester United's next star

The 18-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the Premier League giants, and joins the club with a reputation as one of English football's most promising talents.

As Nick Powell controlled, pivoted and half-volleyed past Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown 15 minutes into this season's League Two play-off final, Twitter, like half of Wembley, erupted. The 18-year-old, during the biggest game of his life, went viral.



Nick Powell



A fortnight on, with Crewe promoted after a 2-0 victory in that game and the attacking midfielder, as expected, having joined Manchester United, @NPowell25 is back amongst the hashtags, trending again. Not since Dean Ashton has a Gresty Road graduate been part of the mainstream football consciousness quite like Powell, with the former West Ham striker securing an England cap before seeing his burgeoning career cut short at the age of 26 due to an irreparable ankle injury.

The likes of David Platt, who joined the club after being released by United and academy product Danny Murphy preceded Ashton as Crewe's most lauded alumni. Powell should outshine them all. An attacking midfielder who, unlike other recent United signing Shinji Kagawa, makes early runs with the ball from the centre, Powell dictates matches with an unerring sense of calm for one so young.



 With his back to goal, the 18-year-old has a Paul Scholes-like ability to act as the catalyst behind attacks, rather than the beneficiary. His vision and close control may have been honed at Crewe's famed academy, but his moments of brilliance on the ball are borne from something innate - a natural reading of the game that simply can not be taught.

Beyond that, Powell has shown a finishing ability, notably from outside the area, to justify a more advanced second striker role similar to that of Wayne Rooney in a front two. League Two's Apprentice of the Year may well be best known for his effort at Wembley but ask those at the Alexandra Stadium and his goals away to both Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon this term were of equal quality.



Powell


Powell's ability on the ball and evident self-confidence has often masked his lack of physical presence; the teenager's only obvious weakness in a division where brawn often outweighs brains. The temptation on United's part, therefore, will be to bulk up their new man to prepare him for the rigours of the Premier League, but the England youth international is often far too elusive for it to matter - no player at Crewe won free-kicks in the 2011-12 season quite like their confident man in the middle.

For most at The Alex's Reaseheath training complex, Manchester United will be seen as the ideal club for Powell to continue his rapid development and a reported £3 million fee, potentially rising to £6m is as good as the new League One outfit could have realistically hoped for. Sir Alex Ferguson's ability to spot and integrate youth talent is untouchable in the Premier League, and that the Scot visited Gresty Road in May to keep tabs on the youngster as Crewe beat Aldershot speaks volumes of his admiration for the attacker.

In February, Ferguson admitted his regrets over failing to sign Joe Hart from Shrewsbury when the England goalkeeper was a teenager. Now, two weeks into the transfer window, the United boss seems intent on eliminating the chances of a similar 'what might have been'.



New Fergie fledgling



The Railwaymen, named after Crewe's famous station, are used to waving off their most exciting talents and on to greater destinations, but never before has it been quite like this. Powell, barely 18 and already making headlines, is a very special talent indeed.

Why Man Utd boss Ferguson is serious about signing Robert Lewandowski

Many were predicting Robert Lewandowski to be the breakout player of Euro2012 - and after his goal in Poland's opening game, the Borussia Dortmund striker is now looking a sure thing.



Robert Lewandowski



So much so that Manchester United, according to local sources, slapped in an €18 million offer for the 23 year-old barely 24 hours after his header against Greece. The speculation is unlikely to faze Lewandowski, however, who has been living with increased scrutiny regarding United ever since he struck a hat-trick in front of a watching Sir Alex Ferguson for BVB's German Cup final triumph over Bayern Munich.

"Since I started playing professional football, there has always been transfer rumours about me," said the Pole, who has a clear idea of how cut-throat professional football can be. "I can't make a commitment to any club because I think that something like this in professional football is nonsense. "Dortmund wants to keep me? Okay. But maybe someday they'll be desperate to sell. Then all their vows will not mean anything." 'Lewy' was making those comments in the middle of difficult contract talks last season with BVB.

But his coach, Jurgen Klopp, insists the striker's influence off the pitch, his engaging, positive personality, went a long way to helping them achieve the Bundesliga and Cup Double last season. "Clearly, the consultants play poker, the players do themselves a bit, but in the end, Lewy remains the same," smiles Klopp.



A huge success at Dortmund



"In football, the squad is a lot more than outsiders think." Klopp is a huge fan of his centre-forward, as is Ferguson - and they're not alone. Germany coach Joachim Low said of Lewy: "Lewandowski really impressed me. He's had a very good season. He is a guarantee of success for Borussia Dortmund." Franck Ribery, the Bayern Munich winger, reckons Lewandowski "is more important" to Dortmund than the much-coveted Mario Gotze.

While Lazio striker Miroslav Klose says: "I have followed his career, who in the past two years has improved considerably. "His goal scoring record in the Bundesliga speaks for itself. You have to be a really good player to achieve those results in such a strong league." Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke agrees: "We knew he was talented and capable of scoring goals at this level. But we didn't think he would develop so quickly and score with such consistency."

Even Peter Schmeichel, the Manchester United goalkeeping legend, says: "I want to see him at the Euros. I want to see if he can repeat his form for Borussia Dortmund on such a stage." For all the protests from Watzke and BVB's directors, Lewandowski appears to have been preparing Dortmund fans for his departure this summer.

After clinching the Double, he confessed: "We have done it all this season. I've also thought: What can I now accomplish with Dortmund? What's left for me to do?" Before leaving to join the Poland squad, Lewandowski even urged fans to read between the lines and understand Watzke's insistence that he wouldn't be sold.





"Mr Watzke has to say that," said Lewandowski. "For the moment, I'm the only striker Borussia has with Lucas (Barrios) now going to China." If United is to be his next destination, the English giants will be signing a player convinced he's far from reaching his peak.

"No way!" protested the Pole when asked if he felt he'd fulfilled his potential. "I will continue to grow, not only for the next two or three years, but much longer. I know that I still have a lot in reserve. "Please remember that football is a game not just for your legs, but equally important, and at some level, more important, is the mentality."

Asked to describe himself, Lewandowski says his next club will be getting more than just a goal scorer. "I'm more than a penalty box player. I usually create. I can work with the ball on the ground, play quickly on the counter-attack - my assists record is no fluke. I'm just a more versatile player." And his ultimate ambition?

To catch the game's top two - Lionel Messi (Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid). "These are the players of the highest quality, it is difficult to compare in terms of achievement. "Certainly in terms of value I am somewhat lacking, but ... I can achieve a lot by hard work in training. You can be sure I will be chasing Ronaldo and Messi. I can catch up!"