Colchester United have completed the signing of Josh Powell from Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan, with the highly-rated left-back becoming the latest Reds academy product to take the next step in his development through a move to Essex.
The 20-year-old defender, a standout performer in Forest’s B Team under Warren Joyce, heads to the JobServe Community Stadium in search of his first taste of senior league football. The deal runs until the end of the 2025/26 season.
From FA Youth Cup Finalist to First-Team Exposure
Powell’s rise through the ranks at the City Ground has been quietly impressive. A member of the Forest side that reached the FA Youth Cup Final in 2022, he scored in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, showing early signs of his attacking instincts from left-back.
Over the past two seasons, Powell has been a key figure for the B Team, earning praise for his consistency, leadership, and versatility on both flanks. His efforts were rewarded in 2024/25 with a place in the starting XI for the Premier League International Cup Final, where Forest triumphed over Lyon.
This summer, Powell was included in the first-team pre-season squad, playing against Chesterfield and featuring in the club’s training camp in Portugal with minutes against Fulham.
Colchester Loan a Natural Step in Development Pathway
This loan marks a strategic next step in Powell’s progression, with Nottingham Forest keen to ensure their young talents are tested in competitive senior environments. Speaking on the move, Craig Mulholland, Head of Football Development & Talent Management at Forest, said:
“This was an important loan for us to get right in this window, as it forms a critical next stage in Josh’s development journey.
Given the success of Jamie and Aaron on loan at Colchester last year, and Ben joining this summer, we are delighted, given the excellent relationship, to again entrust Danny and his team with another Forest talent.
We have significantly enhanced our Player Pathways strategy, and all aspects of Josh’s loan will now be carefully monitored, and where appropriate supported, by our team.”
Powell Eager to Make His Mark at the JCS
Powell becomes the latest Forest youngster to join Colchester in recent years, following in the footsteps of Jamie McDonnell, Aaron Donnelly, and more recently, Ben Perry.
Speaking to the club media after completing the move, Powell said:
“I’m really excited. When I first heard about the opportunity to come here, it was something I was definitely interested in. A few Forest boys have been here before—Aaron Donnelly, Jamie Mac, Pez is here now.
I know the club have got a project in moving young players forward, and that definitely excited me.
I’m high energy. I like to join in the attack, but I also think I’m quite good defensively. You can expect to see me being solid 1v1 defensively and defending the back post, but I can also get forward, deliver a few balls into the box, and hopefully contribute at set pieces as well.”
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