'I was released by Cardiff - then made my Manchester United debut with Marcus Rashford three years later': Portsmouth's Regan Poole on his remarkable journey
Regan Poole was released by Cardiff in 2013 - and signed for £100,000 by Manchester United two years later
Basking in an unassailable 4-1 lead heading into the final minute, Louis van Gaal surveyed his Manchester United substitutes’ bench and spotted an opportunity.
While the home contingent of Old Trafford’s 58,609 crowd revelled in the Europa League demolition of Danish champions Midtjylland, the Red Devils’ manager turned to his number 41 and created a cherished lifetime memory.
Marcus Rashford deservedly dominated the headlines on that February 2016 evening following two second-half goals, yet it was the entrance of fellow United debutant and youth-team colleague Regan Poole which offered the more compelling story.
Replacing Ander Herrera in the 89th minute, it signalled the latest chapter in a remarkable journey for the Welshman who, three years earlier, had been released by hometown club Cardiff and feared his professional football dreams were over.
Now aged 27, Poole was part of a John Mousinho’s side which toppled Championship leaders Middlesbrough last weekend, maintaining the central defender’s outstanding start to the campaign.
Along the journey there have been the highs of making his Wales debut, winning the League One title with Pompey and, of course, representing boyhood team Manchester United.
Yet, in 2014, he was rebuilding shattered confidence at under-15s level in the Cardiff & District Youth League following the heartbreak of Bluebirds rejection.
‘I wanted it so badly, I was determined not to give up’
‘There are so many kids who want to be footballers that don’t make it. They get released and don’t play again, that’s it for them. That’s why I like telling my story,’ Poole told The News.
‘I had a second chance and grabbed it with both hands. I did everything I possibly could to make it that way. We had a lot of good young players in my group at Cardiff and I was let go - but people at Newport believed in me.
‘Within a couple of years I was playing for Manchester United at Old Trafford. My family are big Manchester United fans and they were the only club I wanted to sign for. Luckily enough, I did.
‘That was a crazy time. My story shows not to give up, you never know what can happen. It’s a game of opinions, one manager might not like you, and another manager might. They didn’t think I was good enough at Cardiff and somebody else did at Newport.
‘I always believed in myself, I loved football too much to give up. I wanted it so badly, I would have done just about anything to get back professionally. I was too determined to let the opportunity slip and had a back up at Newport, which I then attacked with everything I had.
‘Hard work and belief didn’t stop there, after leaving United, I had to drop back down to work myself back up again, but I’m still in the Football League, still on the right path, and I’m happy at Pompey.’
A Newport County lifeline
Without a club following his Cardiff rejection, it was Newport who offered a lifeline, offering Poole a two-year Academy scholarship in June 2014 following a successful trial.
Just six weeks into the 2014-15 season, he found himself thrust into Justin Edinburgh’s first-team, upon the recommendation of youth-team coach Michael Flynn.
With the Exiles positioned 17th in League Two, they turned to the first-year scholar in a remarkable show of faith. Aged 16 years and 94 days, he became the club’s youngest-ever player, eclipsing future Pompey promotion-winning skipper Steve Aizlewood’s 1969 feat.
Remaining involved, there was even a Fratton Park trip for Poole, who, in January 2015, was part of a Newport side which won 1-0 over Richie Barker’s team, thereby completing the double over the Blues that season.
With Edinburgh’s side finishing ninth, six points adrift of the play-offs, there was also recognition with Wales’ under-17s , in addition to a nomination for the League Two Apprentice of the Year Award.
‘A manager has to like you, he needs to have belief in you’
Poole added: ‘I was at Cardiff all the way from when I could kick a ball to the age of 14 or 15. It was my local club.
‘When I had to leave, I was really young, I never really expected to be released, it’s so hard to make it in football, so many people are so good technically, but it doesn’t occur to you that it may end at that age. It was tough.
‘So I went to play for the under-15s of my local team St Albans in the Cardiff and District Youth League, then one day we played against Newport - and they asked me to go for a trial. I ended up getting an apprenticeship.
‘It was a really quick turnaround from me signing for Newport to playing in the first-team. Michael Flynn was my youth-team coach at the time, while Justin Edinburgh was first-team manager and they had great belief in me. They were brilliant in my development.
‘Fair play to Justin, he put a 16-year-old into the centre of his defence for a League Two match at Shrewsbury. It was September 2014 and we ended up drawing 0-0, with me playing 68 minutes.
‘We played a back three at that time and I ended up making 11 starts that season, despite my age. The manager has to like you, he needs to have a belief in you - I had that from Justin.
‘Then it heated up and I was getting a bit of interest. I was a 16-year-old playing most weeks in League Two, which was pretty uncommon. That’s how the interest came about and suddenly I’m going on trial to places.
‘United was the one I really wanted, though. I went there for a week - and a couple of weeks later I signed for them. A few years earlier I had been released by Cardiff, now I was at Manchester United.
‘I was a United fan growing up. I wasn’t a diehard, but all my family supported them so they were the club I also followed. Imagine signing for the team you support, I can't really complain about that!’
After 17 appearances with Newport, the 17-year-old moved to Old Trafford in September 2015 for a reported £100,000 fee.
On the same day, Anthony Martial also checked in following a £36m switch from Monaco. Whereas the Frenchman headed for Louis van Gaal’s squad, Poole would be affiliated with the under-21s, run by Warren Joyce.
However, within six months, the Welshman found himself involved in first-team fixtures, firstly for the Europa League trip to Midtjylland and then an FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury, albeit unused off the bench both times.
Then, in February 2016, it was a case of third-time lucky, with Poole introduced in the 89th minute of the second leg against Midtjylland for his Manchester United debut. He would be on the pitch when Memphis Depay made it 5-1 to the hosts, sealing an aggregate 6-3 triumph to progress in the competition.
Disappointingly, however, that proved to be the end of his first-team involvement at Old Trafford and, following loan spells at Newport and Northampton, he was released three years later.
‘I’ve bounced back from a few things in my career’
He said: ‘I knew I wasn't going to go straight into the United first-team and play in the Premier League, that was impossible. I had a lot of work to do. In the end, I was good enough to play for the first-team there and made my debut, which is something no-one can take away from you.
‘Manchester United made me such a better player, I was doing a lot more technical drills, which I wasn’t used to. I was with their under-21s under Warren Joyce, who was really good, doing a lot of work with him.
‘I’d go to college with Marcus Rashford, doing our education, and Scott McTominay was a close friend of mine back then too. Then I was in and around the first-team a bit more, Van Gaal liked me and put his trust in me.
‘Rashford also made his debut against Midtjylland, although he started the match and scored twice. I came on in the last few minutes for Ander Herrera - in the centre of midfield! Around me was Michael Carrick, Juan Mata, Morgan Schneiderlin and Daley Blind.
‘I played a lot in that position when I was younger. I made my Manchester United under-21s debut in the centre of midfield, I played for Wales under-21s a lot there as well, then I dropped back into centre-half and have been there since, I don’t want to play centre midfield now!
‘Then I was loaned out for my development - at Northampton and Newport - and in the summer of 2019 my United contract wasn’t renewed, so I had to find my way back into the Football League and joined MK Dons.
‘You always have aims, my aim has always been to play as high as I can. It’s hard when you go from a club like Manchester United and you have to drop down to work back up again, but I always believed I could get back to playing at the highest level I possibly could. I have bounced back from a few things in my career!’
As a free agent, Poole joined MK Dons in June 2019, having impressed manager Paul Tisdale when playing against them for Newport in League Two the previous season.
He would feature on 51 occasions and score four times for the Dons during a two-season spell, before joining Lincoln for an undisclosed fee in January 2021.
Aged 22 at the time, ended the campaign starting their League One play-off final against Blackpool in May 2021 at Wembley, albeit as a right-back.
Michael Appleton’s team also featured loanees Brennan Johnson and Morgan Rogers, while future Pompey players Cohen Bramall and Anthony Scully were on the bench, yet they lost 2-1 to the Tangerines
It wouldn’t be until moving to Pompey in July 2023 that Poole achieved his League One promotion as John Mousinho’s men captured the title in 2023-24.
The defender suffered an ACL injury to his knee in the FA Cup at Chesterfield in November 2023, ruling him out for the remainder of the season - and just days after making his Wales debut.
However, he battled back last term to make his first outing in the Championship and has now totalled 53 appearances and scored four times for the Blues.
‘I wouldn’t change any of it’
He added: ‘Looking back, I wouldn’t change any of it.
‘In my little room at home, I’ve got my Manchester United shirt in a frame alongside my Wales shirt. They are really proud moments for me. I don’t want to finish on one cap for Wales either, that’s another aim of mine. I believe I can get back in there, I just need to show it on the pitch.
‘I am kind of proud of my career, but I’m still going. Since I made my debut at 16, it might feel like I’ve been around for ages, but most centre-halves don’t really hit their peak until a little later.
‘That ACL injury for Pompey was a massive wake up for me, I’d never really had an injury before. Having played three seasons of constant football, that was taken away from me straight away.
‘The timing was tough but that’s football, it’s a tough game because you have so many set-backs. There’s a lot of picking yourself up - and I’ve done that plenty of times.’