England wonderkid retired at 24 and have become an property agent – ‘I used to be actually low’

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson, tipped by Sven-Goran Eriksson for major England stardom, left football at 24 and later became an estate agent

Former Manchester City star Michael Johnson seemed destined for a glittering career in football, both at club and international level. However, he abandoned it all at the tender age of 24 to embark on a new path as an estate agent.

In 2006, Johnson made a splash with several standout performances for the Cityzens. His tally of goals and assists grew as the young talent was earmarked for greatness, until injuries and debilitating self-doubt intervened.

Sven-Goran Eriksson, then manager of the Blues, hailed Johnson as England’s “next big thing” after his 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”. Regrettably, the midfielder’s career didn’t unfold as many had predicted. “My issue was always self-esteem,” Johnson, now 38, confessed to The Athletic in July 2020.

JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

“I just felt really low in myself. I didn’t ever feel I was as good as the kids next to me.”, reports the Mirror. “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.”

Johnson kicked off his career at Leeds United and enjoyed brief periods with City and Everton. He also relocated to Feyenoord at the tender age of 12. He experienced stints at Liverpool and Crewe Alexandra before re-signing with Everton and subsequently returning to City at 16 to commence his scholarship.

Despite breaking through into the City squad, including an impressive opening to the 2008/09 campaign, a recurring abdominal problem kept him out for seven months. Johnson disclosed that his time in the treatment room sent him to a very dark place. “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 would subsequently go on loan to Leicester but managed only seven outings. The former midfielder ultimately turned to drink.

Johnson was caught drink-driving twice within three months and received fines totalling £5,500 before being disqualified for three years. Reflecting on that chapter, he said: “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 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, Johnson also became a landlord and started dealing in American cars. Speaking about his exit from football, he conceded that putting his health first was the correct decision.

“It was a relief. I knew I couldn’t give my all in football,” he said. “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.”