One to Watch #64: Alex Nimely

Last updated : 27 October 2010 By Dan Buxton

Name:  Alex Nimely

Date of Birth:  11/5/91

Position: Striker

Club:  Manchester City

Previous clubs: Mighty Barrolle, Cotonsport Garouna

International caps:  Liberia U20 - 11 (15)
                                   England U20 - 3 (1)

Nimely began his career in native Liberia before going on trial with
Manchester City (before the billionaires came knocking) in December
2007.  Nimely impressed enough to earn a four year contract with the
club in January 2008 where he entered the clubs youth academy.

Nimely graduated City’s academy alongside players like Dedyrick Boyata
and James Poole, making his first team debut for the club at the tail
end of last season as a substitute against Burnley. Although his first
taste of Premier League action was extremely comfortable as City were
already leading 6-1 by the time he replaced everybody’s favourite
Arsenal Antagonist Emmanuel Adebayor, Nimely still praised boss
Roberto Mancini for his faith in younger players despite the clubs
ability to buy a seemingly never-ending list of top European talent.
Nimely told the clubs official website “He (Mancini) has shown great
belief in so many of us and he is willing to give everyone at the club
a chance if he thinks they are good enough and will work hard for him
– that’s all you can ask for as a player." The following week Nimely
put pen to paper on a new four year deal at Eastland’s.

Nimely’s international career has also began to take shape in recent
times, after representing Liberia at Under-20 level 11 times and
scoring a sensational 15 times he rejected a call up from the senior
side for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers and announced his wish to play
for England, the nationality of his father. He was then called up to
the U-20 World Cup in 2009 where he scored his first international
goal for England in a group stage game against Uzbekistan.