Manchester United midfielder Nick Powell has been voted Crewe Alexandra’s best ever player to mark the Football League’s 125th Anniversary celebrations.
The 20-year-old, who is currently on loan at Wigan Athletic, beat off competition from England internationals Dean Ashton, David Platt and Danny Murphy to scoop 35% of the votes in a fan poll.
Former West Ham star Ashton came second with 24%, narrowly ahead of World Cup 1990 hero Platt (21%) and ex-Liverpool man Murphy (15%)
Frank Blunstone, who later made his name in a decade-long spell at Chelsea in the 1950s and 60s rounded out the top-five.
The Cheshire side – famed for their youth system which can claim to have raised more than £20million from academy graduates – took on Powell when he was just five years old, and gave him his first-team break in 2010 at the age of 16
In 2012, Powell was instrumental in leading Crewe to promotion, scoring 16 goals in 45 appearances including a long-distance thunderbolt against Gillingham that was named Goal of the Season.
Powell hit another wonder goal in the 2012 League Two play-off Final – his final appearance for the club – before moving to Manchester United for a reported £6million fee.
Opportunities at Old Trafford have been limited however, and the midfielder has only appeared twice for United’s first-team.
Powell struck his only goal for the club in a 4-0 against Wigan before moving to the Latics on a season-long loan deal in September last year.
Following in the footsteps of fellow United star Tom Cleverley, Powell has impressed as a part of Uwe Rosler’s FA Cup semi-final-reaching side, and has notched seven goals in 26 appearances.
Image courtesy of Sky Sports, with thanks.
