Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson, once tipped by Sven-Goran Eriksson for major England stardom, left football at 24 and later became an estate agent. Johnson, now 38, admitted his career was derailed by injuries and self-doubt.
Rise and fall at Manchester City
In 2006, Johnson made several standout performances for City, with his goals and assists tally growing as he was earmarked for greatness. Eriksson, then manager, hailed him as England's "next big thing" after impressive displays for the Under-21s. Ex-City and Liverpool ace Didi Hamann described Johnson as "probably the most complete young player I've seen".
"My issue was always self-esteem," Johnson confessed to The Athletic in July 2020. "I just felt really low in myself. I didn't ever feel I was as good as the kids next to me." He added: "I'm not talking football-wise. I knew I was good at football. I'm talking about how I felt as a person. I used to think, 'You're not like those lads there. You can't be their friend'. You look at yourself in the mirror and you feel like it's someone else looking back at you."
Injuries and personal struggles
Johnson started his career at Leeds United and had brief periods with City and Everton, also relocating to Feyenoord at age 12. He had stints at Liverpool and Crewe Alexandra before re-signing with Everton and returning to City at 16 to begin his scholarship. Despite breaking into the City squad, including an impressive start to the 2008/09 campaign, a recurring abdominal problem kept him out for seven months.
"I was injured quite a lot. That didn't help," he said. "I was thinking, 'Why the hell do I feel like this?' And it's not just that I wasn't feeling better about myself. I was feeling worse than before. Suddenly, I didn't have that hope of getting better." He subsequently went on loan to Leicester but managed only seven outings.
Turning to drink and seeking help
The former midfielder ultimately turned to drink. He was caught drink-driving twice within three months and received fines totalling £5,500 before being disqualified for three years. "They were low times. I was trying to escape my feelings by drinking, but I can't condone that at all. I know it was dangerous and wrong," he said. He subsequently sought assistance and entered the Priory clinic.
Johnson last featured for City in October 2009, netting in a 5-1 League Cup victory over Scunthorpe, before having his contract terminated in January 2013. Besides his work as an estate agent, he became a landlord and started dealing in American cars. Speaking about his exit, he said: "It was a relief. I knew I couldn't give my all in football. I needed to sort myself out. I knew I couldn't do the two. I couldn't be a professional footballer - not a good professional anyway - feeling the way I was feeling. It was the right time to leave. And once I left, I knew I could concentrate solely on sorting out my health."
