Aaron Nemane, a star for Notts County, talks exclusively about playing with personality, his time at Manchester City, and building a reputation for himself.
At Manchester City, Aaron Nemane was always encouraged to play with personality, and it is his personality that has helped him construct a promising career that may reach even greater heights.
The 26-year-old is currently an important player for the Notts County team, who, despite the early going, appear to be in the running for a second straight promotion. The Magpies and Wrexham engaged in a fierce National League rivalry last season, with the latter narrowly missing out on the Championship before recovering to win the play-offs with dramatic comeback victories in the semifinal and championship matches.
They are currently ranked second in League Two and have adjusted well to life back in the Football League. Nemane’s tour began in France and has already included stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, and the Etihad.
When he was a young child, his family relocated from France to north Manchester, where the talented footballer was instantly noticed by City. He progressed through the ranks for seven years before moving on to the Academy system, where he twice participated in FA Youth Cup finals.
He was prepared for a future in the sport by his education and experience, and his willingness to play wherever regular football took him led to stints on loan with Rangers, Go Ahead Eagles, Tubize, Torquay United, and now Notts County.
“I have had to step outside of my comfort zone, leave Manchester to go to Scotland to Europe and then all the way down south to Torquay,” Nemane says in an interview with the Manchester Evening News. “I have been to a few countries playing and I have learnt different things, it has been good.”
Nemane, a wide midfielder or wing back, has seen a learning curve where success required more than just City training. After being released by the Blues in 2019, he had to battle his way back into the Football League after a trial and a brief stint with Torquay in the National League, which started with a short-term deal and finished with a loss in the play-off final and a transfer to Notts County.
“If anything coming from City was perhaps tougher because we were so used to how we would play at City and it is so different to anywhere else,” he thought. “When you enter a new setting, it differs from how you have always played. Though that is
When City was 15 years old, it was that match that drew his attention. Nemane, who came up through the ranks playing for Jason Wilcox and Patrick Vieira, was a teammate of Jadon Sancho, Brahim Diaz, and Tosin Adarabioyo among others. Nemane trained with the first team multiple times while under Manuel Pellegrini, and it was a place for him to grow and absorb new information.
“We got to the FA Youth Cup final twice and didn’t win it but that time was a great experience playing at places like Stamford Bridge and the Emirates,” Nemane said about his time at City. “We had a lot of talented players, and a lot of them are doing really, really well. I still talk to a lot of the guys.
“Player recruitment was really competitive, first team training was productive, and I was able to pick up a lot of knowledge from many players. It was amazing to train with them a few times. I gained a lot of knowledge.
The senior players encourage you to play as you are and not to be frightened since there is obviously a reason why you have come up to train with us, they say. They can see that you have talent, and playing up your personality has always been important.
Since leaving Manchester, Nemane has made an effort to embody that, and it has contributed to his success at Notts County. Last season, they struggled against the Hollywood tale of Wrexham and Ryan Reynolds before moving on to the playoffs. The Magpies overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat Boreham Wood in the semi-final, scoring a last-second equalizer to force extra time and then a last-second winner. Chesterfield was defeated on penalties in the championship game after another late leveler forced extra time, where they again equalized after falling behind 2-1 before winning the shoot-out. Undoubtedly, it was a season to remember.
“Obviously we wanted to win the league and our aim was still to get promoted,” Nemane says. “Losing to Boreham Wood 2-0 was not the idea. We gave up the second goal just before halftime, but we all believed we could pull it off. In that game, we generated a lot of opportunities, and we were aware that if we scored early in the second half, we could tie the score. The final was spectacular after the tumultuous game.
“We fell behind so quickly, but we adhered to our tactical plan, didn’t panic or rush our play, and we won the game. In those two games, I believe we had a two-minute lead.
And with all the focus on the Welsh club, what about the Wrexham rivalry?
“We went toe to toe with them, we would be first a while and then drop to second and vice versa,” he explained. “It was wonderful for both of us to get promoted since we both set high standards for the league. The Wrexham incident, in my opinion, did not create a rivalry between our two excellent teams. We focused on ourselves and took the necessary steps to advance. That is what our goal was. You get the impression that Nemane’s adventure is just getting started.
