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Manchester United Players

Can Nick Powell be the Central Midfielder United fans Crave?

When Nick Powell put pen to paper and signed for Manchester United, many were puzzled by Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to invest on an unproven, albeit highly talented, youngster rather than splashing the cash on a central midfielder of proven quality.

The jury is and will be out for some time but the former Crewe player won’t be fazed one bit by it, as he prepares to make the huge leap from League Two to the Premier League and the Champions League.

Powell joined Crewe’s academy as a five-year old and developed into one of the most promising young midfielders in the country, making his full debut in 2010, when he was only 16.

The 2011-12 season saw Powell burst onto the scene at Crewe, as he scored his first senior goal and picked up the Football League’s Young Player of the Month Award for December before becoming the first player in Crewe’s history to complete a clean sweep at the end of the season awards ceremony, by winning the Goal of the Season, Young Player of the Year and Player of the Year Awards.

The youngster capped a marvellous season by scoring in the League Two Playoff Final before being snapped by United in a deal that could be worth up to £6m depending on appearances.

While Powell won’t be expected to take the reins of United’s midfield just yet, Ferguson claimed that the youngster could “walk into the team”, such is his talent and ability on the ball.

Considering how United’s policy in the transfer window has panned out lately, with the club pursuing Arsenal want-away striker Robin Van Persie rather than a much-needed central midfielder, it is not unreasonable to foresee Powell getting a good number of games under his belt in his first season at Old Trafford.

League Two is arguably harder than the Premier League in terms of how much players are protected by the referees, as challenges that go unpunished in lower leagues would earn a week-long debate on Match of the Day if they were to happen in the top flight, but even so Nick Powell will have to be ready for a physical challenge from August onwards as the pace and fitness level of the Premier League can leave exposed even the most prepared of players.

At 18 Powell is still developing, not just as a footballer but also as a man and he’ll need to bulk up quickly to bear the physical impact of the Premier League and he could do worse things than include Maxiraw Protein Powder in his diet.

Maxiraw Protein Powder will allow Powell a quick recovery game after game, as he’ll try to find his feet alongside Paul Scholes in his quest to become the heartbeat of United’s midfield.

Dan