I was Sir Alex Ferguson’s wonderkid but played PlayStation to forget about Manchester United nightmare
Nick Powell was tipped as the next wonderkid of English football when he signed for Manchester United in 2012.
The midfielder left a lasting impression on Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scot watched him in action for Crewe.
Ferguson was so sure of Powell’s talent that he tipped him to take over from Paul Scholes and described the teenager as 'an absolute certainty to be in the England team one day.'
But things didn’t go to plan for Powell who struggled with a lack of game time when he arrived at Old Trafford.
A deeper problem was manifesting. Powell was suffering with a lack of confidence, something he associates with being a ‘perfectionist.’
Soon after, Powell found himself isolated from the United dressing room, feeling he did not have a place at the club.
Former teammate Patrice Evra gave his version of events in his autobiography and explained where he believed Powell got things wrong.
“He (Powell) didn't integrate, wasn't part of the group and you had no idea what he was thinking as he looked through you," Evra wrote. «He was only a young lad, but you're not too young to be judged at United.”
The midfielder admits sharing a good relationship with Evra and despite the Frenchman’s claims, Powell says his teammate did not know the full picture.
“I get on with most people,” Powell toldThe Athletic. “I got on with Patrice. It was purely that I didn’t feel like I was a United player and that was grinding away at me.
“I found it hard to believe I should be there. ‘I don’t want to do this,’ I’d think. ‘I didn’t come to Man United not to play.’ And yes, it did segregate me a bit because I was thinking, ‘What the f*** am I doing here?’ That was probably my biggest issue.
“I’d go home and try to forget it all. That’s part of the reason why
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