The Preston striker was only a teenager when Graham Barrow, his boss at the time at League Two Bury, recommended him to the Eastlands club.
Barrow, now assistant manager at Chester, said: "Years back I sent him to City and they were really pleased with him but decided to do nothing about it."
Instead Nugent soldiered on at Gigg Lane until January 2005 when his 12 league goals before Christmas prompted North End to fork out £100,000 to secure his signature.
Now Barrow reckons Nugent will have no problems integrating into the England set-up after being called in by Steve McClaren for the games with Israel and Andorra following an injury to Darren Bent.
Justified
Nugent has scored 16 goals this season and Barrow says: "He will not feel out of place alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. I don't think it'll be a problem because he's taken everything else in his stride.
"He's never been fazed by anything like that. People forget it was a big step from Bury to Preston and he took that well in his stride.
"It'll help that Steven Gerrard and Rooney are Scousers, too, so I'm sure they'll look after him.
"The call-up is fully justified because he's doing the business."
Since his first months at Deepdale, Nugent, who made his Bury debut at the age of 16, has been constantly linked with moves to the Premiership.
The chances of Nugent actually featuring against either Israel or Andorra may be slim but Barrow is adamant the forward will let nobody down if called upon.
He said: "I'm not being disrespectful to the players that are around him but when you get past Rooney and the fact that Michael Owen's not about, he's as good as the rest."
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Doubtless the website whingers will use this non-story as another stick with which to beat the club in general and Stuart Pearce in particular...
I wonder if he was playing in the same game as Lita and Ashton... jus a thought.
Bertie even you should be able to see that our Club misses out on many opportunities. I would guess that Nugent would have had a trial during KK's reign as manager and as we all know KK liked to bring in the names on big wages rather than take a calculated gamble on a young and hungry talented player. Although SP is said to be looking at lower league players I'm not sure that he has an eye for one either...Leroy Lita springs to mind there. That aside, I think it is time that our management looked at the lower leagues closely. The money spent on Corradi in transfer fees and wages would have financed the purchase of Caleb Folan and CF's wages whilst also leaving change for another purchase or indeed a round of bonuses for the directors!
what is the point of this topic most clubs in fact all clubs turn down players when they were young and have gone on to play at the top have they run out of finds to talk about
Soulboy, please behave! Your negativity is draining. You'll be mentioning Ian Rush next. If City are depressing you that much i'd suggest you pack it in for the good of your mental health!
...And how right I was.
Humps 100% correct. Again another non story published by the MUEN
I think it was during Keegan's time in charge, not Pearce's.
Bertie, I think I recall you saying something along the lines of this forum being there for debate and we should avoid digs etc. Well the debate has started and we are hearing views from both sides.
Mr Chase, a rather negative stocking filler from yourself. I would estimate that several clubs have 'missed out' on this emerging gem by declaring him inadequate as a teenager. He is obviously a relatively late bloomer.
Do the MEN seek similar stories from the utd angle regarding missed signings ?. Because they have missed several over the years, ie..messrs Platt and Savage and was it Beardsley ?, to name but a few.
Having just visited the utd web page, your banner headline is an article about the 'veteran' Ryan Giggs. Perhaps when he was stolen by SAF and Kiddo in the dead of night from the City camp, then you ran a headline of 'Fergie kidnaps young gem' !! No I thought you did'nt. Parity Mr Chase.
Bertie - no you were not right. These postings do not fit your description. I have supported you on occasion in the past but comments like this are a red rag to a bull and it is no wonder you get some flack back.
For me this is another story you print when there is nothing left to write about... not really news.
I'm sure that if a City manager had a crystal ball 10 years ago they would have signed Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho instead on Nuggent!! ;-)
why don't we take more chances with this type of player?
Non story, simple as that
Truth is many players get rejected when they are young and not fully developed. However, I must say Im surprised that City actually liked Nugent but decided to do nothing about it. Especially if PNE could snap him up for a mere £100k. If it was during KK's reign, we could have saved some money instead of buying Matias Vuoso! :D
Drivel.
And Notts Forest turned down Shaun Wright Phillips....happens all the time. I don't see the point in this story, apart from encouraging more negative comments about the way the club is run from nieve, narrow minded plonkers!
Add it to the Ian Rush story when Alan Oakes was the Crewe manager
Have to agree that this is just a story to fill a few lines and to get a few more City fans wound up.
As said before we all could muster together 30 or more names that City "just missed out on" or "turned down".
Figo was one years ago and I always remember Peter Reid writing in the programme that he was just about to bid for Ian Wright but Arsenal pipped him to the post!
Oh what could of been!
MUEN...Why not print an article about the rags turning down Beardsley and Platt when they were kids?
Nefyn Blue, Stockport. Nice to read some accuracy. The MUEN articles always praise Taggart & Co for "discovering" Ryan Wilson (oops, sorry, Giggs!). I was in the Royal Oak, Didsbury, the night Ken Barnes was livid at one of his finds being stolen from City's youth set-up.
and what
Phil the blue, in addition. I seem to remember that his estranged father was in the papers at the time stating that he had suddenly acquired a new motor car, so he could watch him at utd. A timely purchase I would say.
Typical City
Dont worry, you still have Bernard "The Diver " Corradi!
Manchester is Red.
3-1