Meet Peterborough United's new defender on a meteoric rise preparing for just his second full season in professional football

When it comes to George Nevett’s career to date, there isn’t a lot to say.

The 18-year-old signing for Posh already represents a steep career rise given that he only signed his first professional contract with then League Two side Rochdale in April 2023 and is therefore barely a year into his playing career.

Aged just 17, he made his debut for the side in the Football League, his one and only EFL appearance to date after coming through the club’s academy.

He came off the bench in the 88th minute of a 4-1 victory at home to Sutton at the end of April when his side had already been condemned to relegation.

Interestingly for Posh fans, he was brought off the bench on that day alongside Abraham Odoh, who has also made the move to London Road this summer after a season at Harrogate. A factor that should help him to settle in.

Nevett wasted no time settling right into first team football last season, appearing 34 times for Jim McNulty’s side in the National League, 32 from the start.

He helped his side to keep six clean sheets in those matches as Rochdale finished 11th in their season back in non-league since 1921. A late season slump in form cost them a play-off push.

Nevett, a left-footed centre-back- somewhat of a rarity in the modern game, caught the eye though with his performances, gaining a reputation for having good technical ability and picking pinpoint passes into midfield; a skill Posh will need given that this is surely the summer Ronnie Edwards waves goodbye to the club.

Rochdale developed a reputation for passing brand of football with Nevett at the heart of the backline playing both a high volume of passes as well as a number of progressive passes, combining this with a tough-tackling ability.

He completed 1807 (88%) passes last season, ranking second among under 21s in the league. He also won 89.4% (314) of his defensive duels, the sixth best of under 21s in the National League.

National League analyst and content creator Tom Williams (@tomhwilliams23) provided this analysis of Nevett: “Nevett is a young defender who has really impressed me.

"He’s played with a maturity way beyond his years, and his assured nature at the back has been vital for a Rochdale side who are now trying to consolidate in their first season in the National League.“While physically he may still look every bit of 17 years, when he’s on the ball he appears to take the form of an experienced professional.

"He’s one of the very best in the division at bringing the ball out from the back, and his range of passing combined with his composure make him the ideal modern day ball-playing centre-half. These attributes are desirable, and have no doubt these will have caught the eye of scouts in the higher divisions.

"He’s not just a ball-playing defender though. He’s extremely strong in the tackle, and once again his reading of the game and his anticipation are that of a player a decade his senior. He’s able to read where the attacker will go, allowing the timing of his challenge to really show.

"The stats back this up too. He’s won 81.48% of his defensive duels – the 2nd highest rate in the division. This is incredibly encouraging, as it suggest that the vast majority of the time Nevett comes out on top. His defence-splitting pass against Chesterfield really announced him on the big stage, but his solidity in the tackle may keep him in the limelight.“There are improvements to be made in the air, but with a tutor like Jim McNulty, I have no doubt he will that part of his game sooner rather than later.”

Nevett’s performances have already earned him international recognition as he has already made two caps for the Welsh U19 national team in their Euro 2024 qualification campaign.