Nathan Jones hit the jackpot with Stoke City deal for ex-Man Utd man - But it was all Michael O'Neill's gain | OneFootball

Nick Powell signed for Stoke on a free transfer following his contract expiry at Wigan Athletic.

Nick Powell signed for Stoke City in the summer of 2019 following the expiry of his contract with Wigan Athletic, but it wouldn't be the manager who signed him whom he thrived under.

Following relegation from the Premier League in 2018, Stoke did not hold back from trying to spend their way to the Championship title at the first time of asking under former Derby County boss Gary Rowett.

In came the likes of James McClean, Benik Afobe, Peter Etebo, Sam Clucas and Tom Ince in a summer which saw the Potters spend over £50 million to ultimately finish 16th, with Rowett having been replaced by Nathan Jones before the new year.

Jones had built a reputation for his diamond formation (4-1-2-1-2) at Luton Town and looked to deploy something similar with Stoke, and due to the financial constraints the Potters were now under, Jones' spending was limited.

The Welshman made Burnley striker Sam Vokes his only January arrival, which did little to help the club's form, as Jones won just three of his 21 games in the second half of the season.

Michael O'Neill reaped the rewards of Nathan Jones' deal to sign Nick Powell for Stoke City

The following summer, Tommy Smith and Liam Lindsay were the only two signed by Stoke for fees, whilst the club announced the arrivals of Jordan Cousins, Adam Davies, Lee Gregory and Powell on free transfers.

Jones would ultimately last just a few months into the 2019/20 season, having won none of his first 10 games of the campaign, and was swiftly replaced by Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill, with Powell only making three appearances under the Welshman during his time with the club.

The midfielder would initially struggle for minutes under O'Neill, but would finally break his way into the starting eleven, and would finish the campaign with five goals and five assists in 30 Championship matches.

Powell would spend the next three years with the Potters, playing regularly whenever fit, although injuries marred his time with the club, just as they have throughout his entire career, wherever he has been.

In total, the Englishman played 90 times in all competitions for O'Neill, scoring 24 times and grabbing 10 assists. He was the most prolific player during O'Neill's time with the club, narrowly ahead of Tyrese Campbell (30) and Jacob Brown (28) for goal contributions, a testament to his ability from midfield.

Nick Powell possessed Premier League quality but was cursed by injuries

Powell came through the youth ranks at Cheshire outfit Crewe Alexandra, before signing for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson as an 18-year-old for a fee reportedly upwards of £6 million.

The former England youth international was hotly tipped to be a part of the next generation of players at the Red Devils, but that's unfortunately not what transpired.

Loan spells at Wigan Athletic, Hull City and Leicester City followed, but Powell was unable to establish himself at Premier League level, and would join Wigan on a permanent basis for free in the summer of 2016.

Now with Bradford City in League One after leaving Stockport County this summer, Powell has 87 appearances in League Two, 50 in League One and 198 in the Championship, and has over 140 goal contributions across his entire career.

Powell will always remain a player that never truly fulfilled his potential, with various injuries having hindered a career that could have been so much more.

Stoke, though, remain one of the clubs that got a taste of his talent, thanks to Jones' decision to bring him onboard.