Manchester United signing Nick Powell is a Blackburn Rovers reject!

Former United youth guru Eric Harrison has revealed how he recommended the 18-year-old to Rovers before Sir Alex Ferguson splashed out £4m to sign him from Crewe this summer.

"I did some scouting for Blackburn, watched him twice and recommended him," Harrison, who nurtured the talents of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers at United, told the Manchester Evening News. "I said to them, 'You must sign him. He's a fantastic young player'."