I was tipped to be England's next big thing – now I'm working as an estate agent

Former Manchester City star Michael Johnson looked set to be the next big thing for club and country – but sensationally left the game behind at just 24 years old before becoming an estate agent.

It was in 2006 that Johnson broke through the ranks at City and burst onto the scene with several eye-catching performances. Goals and assists followed as the youngster was hotly tipped to go on to achieve great things, until injuries and issues with self-doubt caused the midfielder to walk away from football.

Former City team-mate Didi Hamann had described him as an "outstanding" midfielder that reminded him of German icon Michael Ballack, while ex-manager Sven-Goran Eriksson thought he would become the "next big star for England". Now 36, Johnson revealed how he battled personal and physical problems and admitted it was a "relief" to leave all of that behind to focus on working as an estate agent and with a car dealership.

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Johnson's astronomical rise saw him immediately tipped for the top, with Liverpool even bidding for the star in 2008. However, after a series of injuries hit the Urmston-born player, coupled with mental health issues, he struggled to live up to his early promise. In an interview with The Athletic from 2020, Johnson courageously lifted the lid on what made him walk away from his fledgling career at City and revealed issues with his "self-esteem".

"My issue was always self-esteem. I just felt really low in myself. I didn’t ever feel I was as good as the kids next to me," Johnson said. “I’m not talking football-wise. I knew I was