Nick Crawshaw boasted to police he played for Manchester United while being interviewed about rape allegations, a court heard.

Crawshaw said he was at United ‘for a bit’, but his career was cut short by a bad injury.

But the club’s head of youth player recruitment said in court there was never a player with the 23-year-old’s name on their books at the time in question.

Crawshaw, of West Street, Hoole, is charged with 16 sex offences, including 10 rapes, against seven victims between 2010 and 2015. He denies all charges.

The defendant was being interviewed by police at HMP Altcourse after already being charged with rape against two victims.

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A transcript of the questioning was read out during his trial at Warrington Crown Court on Tuesday (February 23).

Further complainants had come forward regarding incidents in 2010 and Crawshaw was asked what he was doing at this time in his life.

He said: “I was always playing football, I was playing football full time. I was at Chester City, Wrexham, then I was at Man United for a bit until I got a bad knee injury.”

Manchester United head of youth player recruitment Derek Langley was called to give evidence at the trial.

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Simon Mills, prosecuting, asked if there were any records of a player called Nicholas Crawshaw on their books in the years detailed.

Mr Langley said: “None whatsoever. There is also no record of a player with that name suffering a bad knee injury.

“We keep records of every player who comes into the academy whether they come in for a trial or for an assessment.”

Football League records showed Crawshaw was registered as a Chester City FC youth player from September 2006 to May 2009, but he was not given a contract at the age of 16.

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Former Chester City secretary Rodney Allan said: “We would be aware of approaches from a club the size of Manchester United.

“This did happen during my time at the club, but as far as I know there was not an approach for a person named Nicholas Crawshaw.”

Mark Le Brocq, defending, asked whether there would be any paper trail if the approach had simply been an informal one.

He suggested a Manchester United scout had approached Crawshaw’s mother while watching him play.

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Mr Allan said this would be an illegal approach and he would not expect a club of Manchester United’s stature to conduct themselves in such a fashion.

The FA of Wales said there was no evidence Crawshaw had ever been registered as a player by Wrexham FC, but it was possible this was not necessary if he had been picked up following his release by Chester City.

He had also briefly been registered at Airbus UK FC.

Crawshaw denies all charges against him.

The trial at Warrington Crown Court continues.