Poole Starting To Feel At Home With United

The fourth in a five-part series of exclusive interviews with some of Manchester United's young stars hoping for a big 2016/17 season focuses on Regan Poole...

Young defender Regan Poole had to play the waiting game after signing for United at the end of the 2015 summer transfer window. As he moved to England from Newport County in Wales, international clearance was required before he could appear in a competitive fixture for his new employers.

The main positive of the enforced spell on the sidelines was that it allowed him to settle in unfamiliar surroundings and become acclimatised to life at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Moving from home is never easy but he had the time and space to adapt well and was snapped by the photographers working with the first team during an open training session ahead of a Champions League game.

After leaving Cardiff City and rebuilding his fledgling career at Newport, he has already come a long way since becoming the youngest player ever to represent County when appearing in a League Two fixture against Shrewsbury Town at the age of only 16 years and 94 days.

"We had a lot of injuries in defence," he said of his Newport bow. "I'd been on the bench before but my debut came in an away game at Shrewsbury, who were high in the table and got promoted that year I think. If it wasn't for Newport, I wouldn't be here now. I've got a lot to thank them for.

"Justin Edinburgh [the former Tottenham defender] was the manager and I still speak to him now. He's a really nice guy and it was a massive decision to throw me in at Shrewsbury. We drew 0-0 so it was a good clean sheet for me. I loved every minute of it - the crowd was always unbelievable and to be part of a promotion push at 16 was great."

Somebody making a breakthrough at such a young age is always likely to attract attention and United were among a number of clubs to register an interest in Poole. "I came on trial for a week with the Under-21s and, after going back to Newport, I also had trials with Liverpool and Fulham," he recalled. "It was coming to the end of the transfer window and, although I could have stayed there, I felt it was time to move.

"It was hard on trial and I wasn't sure I'd be coming back but Warren [Joyce] came to watch me a few times in Newport's first team and he must have seen enough of me to make the decision before the end of the window.

"For me to come to United was massive and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I was a bit scared when I first joined as I'd always lived at home - when I played for Newport I travelled for half an hour in the car. The day before the deadline, finding out I was moving to Manchester on my own was a bit daunting but I couldn't let the opportunity slide so I cam here to sign the papers and it was crazy."

It was then that the annoying wait took hold due to the paperwork surrounding a transfer deemed to be an international one, even if Newport is only 175 miles from Manchester. Training with Joyce's Under-21s helped him get up to speed on the physical side but he missed the entire FA Youth Cup campaign with the Under-18s.

"It was a frustrating time really but I didn't think I'd be training with the Under-21s when I first joined, never mind the first team," he said. "I thought I'd be going with the Under-18s because I was eligible for them so it was a bonus. It was six months when I was expecting two months at the most and then three more and, when I got to three months, I felt ready. I ended up having to wait another three months and it did seem to go on and on.

"But I actually didn't miss that many games, which was a good thing, and I'd been training with the first team. It was hard, though, as I was not expecting to be sidelined for six months but it helped me settle in a way. I was able to meet people and it gave me time to find my feet. They're a great bunch of lads and even with the first team, I was surprised at how normal people like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Wayne Rooney were. They speak to you as if you're their friend and it's clear it's a great family club. I'd settled in okay three months down the line so the last bit was the hardest."

When the red tape was unravelled, his debut for the club came in a behind-closed-doors Under-21 fixture against Everton as a substitute but he was able to show what he was made of in a derby against Manchester City. "My best performance was in the City game," he said. "Because I'd missed so much of the season to be thrown in as a central midfielder was obviously a big shock but it suited me down to the ground. I made a block in the last minute that helped save the three points for us."

By helping the Under-21s win the title, it was a successful end to the campaign for Poole but the Welshman's highlight must have been the cameo first-team appearance against Midtjylland in the Europa League, running out in front of the Old Trafford crowd in the famous red shirt. "It was an incredible experience," he noted. "I was on the bench before then in the away match against Midtjylland and then at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup. It would have been nice to make my debut against Shrewsbury again! For me to make my debut for Manchester United, though, is just incredible. It's not a bad achievement at 17!"

The versatile centre-back does not turn 18 until later this month and it is clear he is still dealing with living away from home. Thankfully, the support of his family is helping him to push on and make his mark at United.

"I live in digs," he revealed. "They are really nice people. But I do miss my family a lot and, if I get a day off, I do go home. It's a three-hour drive but can be a nice surprise for them so I head home as much as I can."

With no restrictions on his involvement from the outset in 2016/17, he will be feeling even more settled at the Aon Training Complex and can expect to become a key performer as he continues to mature. His early experience of competing against men for Newport obviously shows in his presence on the field and the confident youngster has already shown plenty of evidence of his quality.

Credit: manutd.com