already agreed a deal in principle with Crewe before his Play-Off heroics.

Upon agreeing to signed the youngster, Sir Alex admitted: “We have scouted Nick for months now. He is an exceptional talent and has been schooled well at Crewe. He has a lot to offer and we are all looking forward to working with him."

The manager sees Powell as a central midfield player and stationed him in that role during the DHL tour of South Africa and China as he made his bow against Ajax Cape Town. Clearly a tidy footballer with plenty of ability, he has been promised regular training with the first team and the chance to make

his mark in 2012/2013.