Michael Johnson - Manchester City

Paully D

Remember him?

2007:



http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jun/02/daniel-taylor-michael-johnson?newsfeed=true

Lee Sharpe tells a story, going back to his days at Manchester United, of sitting in the canteen one day and hearing a dull, repetitive thud outside. Eventually he went out to investigate and was bemused to find Gary Neville, on his own, throwing a ball against the gym wall. "As hard as he could, over and over again," Sharpe recalls. "Practising long throws, Gary Neville's idea of fun."

Not quite. This was not Neville's idea of fun, more the realisation of what he had to do to make the best of himself. Another time, Sharpe remembers Neville abandoning a night out after his team-mates suggested they went to a nightclub. "He said he didn't like nightclubs. 'Sorry,' I said. 'Run that past me again, Gary. You don't like nightclubs? In nightclubs there's beer, decent music, women, what exactly is there not to like?' But he was insistent: 'No, I don't like nightclubs, they're not my scene.' And off he toddled."

It is easy to mock, or patronise, but only if you want to overlook the fact it was this form of dedication that helped Neville make almost 600 appearances for the club, as well as winning 85 England caps. In football, as Neville always appreciated, it needs more than just talent to sustain a career at the top. Sharpe had a different outlook and, without wishing to be cruel, his Wikipedia page now describes him as "best known for appearing in Celebrity Love Island". Or consider what has happened to Michael Johnson and, specifically, where he was supposed to be at this point in his life and what, in reality, has come of him now we are rubbernecking at what's left of his career.

Johnson is just one of countless young players to lose their way in the system, but his is an extreme case and anyone who saw him burst on to the scene at Manchester City will understand why it is so deflating now to find his career in such a steady form of deterioration.

Yes, Johnson was 18 at the time but he played with an elegance, control and appreciation of space that left City supporters of a certain generation making comparisons with Colin Bell. "FEC", they used to call Johnson: Future England Captain.

Liverpool, the Champions League winners at the time, wanted to sign him for £10m, back in the days when that was an implausible amount of money for a teenager. One particular memory stands out: Sven-Goran Eriksson, a manager who has worked with a Who's Who of gifted footballers, holding court at the bar of the Manchester Radisson, offering a £50 bet that Johnson would play in at least one World Cup. The teenager was, according to Eriksson, the outstanding player of his age in English football.

Now 24, the midfielder has endured a cruel run of injuries since then, but there are other reasons why he has not started a league game for City for almost four years. At City they talk about someone who became "big-time" and started spending too much time in nightclubs and casinos. At times they could not understand why he was not fit to play when the medical staff could not find an obvious problem. They tell the story of being so embarrassed by his pen-pic one season – bloated, unshaven, rough – they asked the photographer to come back to take it again. The original, to quote one member of City's staff, looked "more like an Oasis roadie" than a professional sportsman.

Over time, City's coaching staff concluded Johnson simply did not have the mentality to be a footballer at the highest level. He was moved to Leicester City last year, on a season-long loan that cost the Championship club £1m, but was signed off, then sent back, by January. After that, almost nothing had been heard of him until on Thursday, at 3.50am, his Mercedes hit another car, then crashed into a wall. "Manchester City star in drink-drive arrest," the Manchester Evening News reported. Except that Johnson has not been a "Manchester City star," in the truest sense, for a long time. He was nowhere to be seen when Roberto Mancini's team won the league, or during the open-top bus parade. His last appearance? A second-half substitute, in a Carling Cup tie against Scunthorpe, in October 2009.

Maybe it all happened too quickly. Johnson had an awful lot of exposure at an early age and, unless you are in that position, it is difficult to comprehend all the different pressures and temptations. All we can really say for certain is that it is a terrible waste. In different circumstances, this should have been the point of his career when he was established as an England player, looking forward to playing in the European Championship. England, as we have seen, are hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to central midfielders.

Hypothetical now, though. Johnson signed a five-year contract in 2009, which means City are lumbered with him for the time being. They would get rid of him in a shot if they could and, beyond that, who can really say where he would be washed up?

Whatever happens, it is a sorry tale about what can happen when a young footballer has the right ability but the wrong attitude – and, in the process, we are reminded again that there is nothing quite so depressing as talent going to waste.

Now:

Turtyturd

Nope.

alchemist33

Interesting article but incomplete without an interview with the man himself. I'd like to know his views on how he got here, where he's going, what (if anything) drives him.

(before anyone says it, a taxi from now on)

cgpg5

Had some start to the 07/08 season I remember. Would've sworn then he'd be an England regular by now. Sad really

klose

Wonder what his wages are? Probably low for city giving his position, is say around the 50k mark...

PhlegmyMoses

Johnson in 1996

He seems to have gone down the MJ route....

Paully D

whippedcream wrote: »

Wonder what his wages are? Probably low for city giving his position, is say around the 50k mark...

£25,000 a week.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/2473292/Mark-Hughes-confirms-Manchester-Citys-Michael-Johnson-is-in-contract-talks.html#

Hughes has been impressed with the 20-year-old since arriving as manager from Blackburn, and has signed off on proposing to Johnson a new £25,000-a-week deal.

Jimmy Iovine

whippedcream wrote: »

Wonder what his wages are? Probably low for city giving his position, is say around the 50k mark...

A bit high. I reckon somewhere in the 20s would be more realistic.

bwatson

Very sad and very strange tale. You do often hear of players not fulfilling their potential but it is quite remarkable that even given the injury nightmares he has been through the people around him at such a big club weren't able to keep him on the right track.

Still time I suppose to turn it all around. I remember his runs with the ball from midfield, ghosting past defenders as if they weren't there.

Jimmy Iovine

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Johnson in 1996

He seems to have gone down the MJ route....

The difference being that MJ set world records that were deemed impossible to beat. That was until the freak that is Usain Bolt came along on the scene.

It's hardly an even comparison.

PhlegmyMoses

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

The difference being that MJ set world records that were deemed impossible to beat. That was until the freak that is Usain Bolt came along on the scene.

It's hardly an even comparison.

I was actually talking about the Michael Jackson route, the whole black to white thing. It was a poor, poor attempt at humour.

cgpg5

bwatson wrote: »

Very sad and very strange tale. You do often hear of players not fulfilling their potential but it is quite remarkable that even given the injury nightmares he has been through the people around him at such a big club weren't able to keep him on the right track.

Still time I suppose to turn it all around. I remember his runs with the ball from midfield, ghosting past defenders as if they weren't there.

In this day and age you'd wonder. He looks severely out of shape. Will take him ages to slim down and get up to a substantial level of fitness you'd think. Strikes me as someone who lacks the discipline required too to get back. Football is evolving so much that getting prolonged injuries may mean you never get back to the highest level.

ambid

That article is a little harsh on Sharpe I think. He had a few good years with United before injuries affected him badly. He played left wing, left back, central midfield for a while and then played non league so, although he definitely liked a beer, he didn't have the same attitude problems. Sharpe never quite fulfilled his potential, but he still had a good career.

Jimmy Iovine

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

I was actually talking about the Michael Jackson route, the whole black to white thing. It was a poor, poor attempt at humour.

I think it's best to stick to the day job .

kitakyushu

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Johnson in 1996

He seems to have gone down the MJ route....

He should have just concentrated on his football but he spent too much time out on the town with Sue Barker.

bwatson

cgpg5 wrote: »

In this day and age you'd wonder. He looks severely out of shape. Will take him ages to slim down and get up to a substantial level of fitness you'd think. Strikes me as someone who lacks the discipline required too to get back. Football is evolving so much that getting prolonged injuries may mean you never get back to the highest level.

Yeah true. I'd never expect him to even get a look in at City again no matter how much time and attention they devote to him. Would at least be nice to see him turn out for a southampton, a swansea or so on though just so that his clear talent doesn't go totally to waste.

hidinginthebush

Paully D wrote: »

whippedcream wrote: »

Wonder what his wages are? Probably low for city giving his position, is say around the 50k mark...

£25,000 a week.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/2473292/Mark-Hughes-confirms-Manchester-Citys-Michael-Johnson-is-in-contract-talks.html#

Hughes has been impressed with the 20-year-old since arriving as manager from Blackburn, and has signed off on proposing to Johnson a new £25,000-a-week deal.

Jaysus, how wrong is it that 25k per week seems small, when that's over a million a year! The lucky buggers still on 20 times what most folk would be happy to make!

PhlegmyMoses

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

I think it's best to stick to the day job .

Pornstar it is then. Suppose you can't have everything.

monkey9

Why haven't City just let him go?? I can't believe they're still paying him wages!!

Guy:Incognito

ambid wrote: »

That article is a little harsh on Sharpe I think. He had a few good years with United before injuries affected him badly. .

Keane talks about him in his book. They both had cruciate injuries at the same time. Keane went to see a guy that was involved in rugby iirc and told him a certain way to go about recovering. Sharpe would arrive at his door walking on his knee looking for Keane to head out. In short, went the wrong way about recoving altogether. Seems to be the story of Sharpes career.

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

I think it's best to stick to the day job .

Some of us got it.:)

Vurnon San Benito

I remember we came close to signing him for £5m years ago - with Joe Kinnear in charge iirc.

Very talented footballer, just too fond of the beer it seems. Sad story really.

Paully D

Doocey wrote: »

I remember we came close to signing him for £5m years ago - with Joe Kinnear in charge iirc.

Very talented footballer, just too fond of the beer it seems. Sad story really.

Pity you didn't sign him :pac: It was £8m by the way

kitakyushu

At 25k I make that £6m+ for a 5 year contract? He won't starve anyway.

ambid

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Keane talks about him in his book. They both had cruciate injuries at the same time. Keane went to see a guy that was involved in rugby iirc and told him a certain way to go about recovering. Sharpe would arrive at his door walking on his knee looking for Keane to head out. In short, went the wrong way about recoving altogether. Seems to be the story of Sharpes career.

Didn't know that. Good point.

Xavi6

monkey9 wrote: »

Why haven't City just let him go?? I can't believe they're still paying him wages!!

Because City are doing and have done the best they can to get a young lad back on track. He's clearly got problems borne out of being out injured for two years straight and it's good to see a club honouring a contract and not just casting a player out who they would have to pay anyway with a termination.

Samich

I remember he scored a savage goal on a Monday night from the edge of the box, outside of the right boot. Lovely goal.

Samich

And here it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJTXbTtLEL8

~Rebel~

Between Johnson, Barton and Ireland, Man City youth midfielders seem to be cursed when it comes to the mental side of the game!

JohnnyRyan99

I was full sure Johnson was going to be the player leading our team into the next era back then. Before the money of course. Had such high hopes for him, Such a pity!

grohlisagod

I was a huge fan of him. Really surprised at how things have worked out for him.

breffni666

Stephen Hughes at Arsenal was another of these type lads. Was outstanding when he came into the side first but when he got the long contract and big money every week it all went to pot. Just goes to show you need a bit of an upbringing to be able to cope with the success as a young man.

blueser

The lad's been a fool to himself. We had high hopes for him when he emerged onto the scene. People were talking about him being the new Colin Bell which, looking back, was ridiculous and just put enormous pressure on him. He's had a horrendous time with injuries but, even taking that into account, he doesn't seem to have the right mental attitude to become a great player. He has been spotted out and about in the Manchester nightclubs countless times. And of course, when he's out there'll be plenty of blues who will want to buy him a drink. And (allegedly), he won't turn down the offer, and it's showing on him now. Can't ever see him pulling on the sky blue again. Pity.

POKERKING

One of the most overrated players city have had in years, even now there's city fans that think he will be the next best thing, he did well with hamann and elano beside him under sven for a weeks then got "injured" and hasnt really been seen since. He's talked about up there with the greats by city fans and it winds me up, some even compare him to Paul lake which is highly disrespectful to Paul lake.

In fairness to him now though that pic in the OP of him being fat is from 3/4 years ago he has slimmed down a lot since then. When leicester sent him back in January he only trained with EDS(Youth team) and still has a year on his contract left currently. He will continue to train with kids no doubt and end up retired living in Ibiza in a couple of years time telling people he used to be a great footballer, shame but thats the way it goes. I wont be losing sleep over him not making it.

Ps he scored a belter in the league cup under hughes against Scunthorpe about 3 years ago, worth a watch!

Xavi6

POKERKING wrote: »

he did well with hamann and elano beside him under sven for a weeks then got "injured"

Why the inverted commas? He *was* injured. Twice.

POKERKING

Xavi6 wrote: »

Why the inverted commas? He *was* injured. Twice.

Im skeptical about his abdominal injury which was the main one that season, occurred around same time he was started seen out pissed and in casinos.

LuckyLloyd

monkey9 wrote: »

Why haven't City just let him go?? I can't believe they're still paying him wages!!

They need a reason to sack him I presume? If they let him go otherwise they'd be on the hook for the rest of his contract, and I doubt he's going to accept a mutual termination. Sooo, as long as he keeps turning up to training and doing all that is asked of him they have to keep paying him.

A drunk driving offence might be what they need to get rid of him actually.

If he's been smart, he should have a house paid for and a decent chunk of cash put away to support him for a long time.

POKERKING

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

They need a reason to sack him I presume? If they let him go otherwise they'd be on the hook for the rest of his contract, and I doubt he's going to accept a mutual termination. Sooo, as long as he keeps turning up to training and doing all that is asked of him they have to keep paying him.

A drunk driving offence might be what they need to get rid of him actually.

If he's been smart, he should have a house paid for and a decent chunk of cash put away to support him for a long time.

Funnily, there were alleged pics of his house floating around last year as it was up for sale, if it was his house it looked decent, small pool gym etc. I will ahve a scout around and see if i can find it.

LuckyLloyd

ambid wrote: »

That article is a little harsh on Sharpe I think. He had a few good years with United before injuries affected him badly. He played left wing, left back, central midfield for a while and then played non league so, although he definitely liked a beer, he didn't have the same attitude problems. Sharpe never quite fulfilled his potential, but he still had a good career.

Good shout I think. Nearly 200 league appearances for Utd and 300 league appearances overall. He had a decent career at the very least, irrespective of what it could / should have been.

bwatson wrote: »

Very sad and very strange tale. You do often hear of players not fulfilling their potential but it is quite remarkable that even given the injury nightmares he has been through the people around him at such a big club weren't able to keep him on the right track.

Still time I suppose to turn it all around. I remember his runs with the ball from midfield, ghosting past defenders as if they weren't there.

bwatson wrote: »

Yeah true. I'd never expect him to even get a look in at City again no matter how much time and attention they devote to him. Would at least be nice to see him turn out for a southampton, a swansea or so on though just so that his clear talent doesn't go totally to waste.

I don't think any of this is "sad". The failure rate at the top level is staggering. Ever watch Setanta's reruns of old Premiership games? How often do you see some kid looking decent in them with the commentator talking about how they have a 'big future' ahead - and not remember them at all?

If anything, stories like this should make you appreciate the likes of Paul McShane and Kevin Kilbane all the more - it takes a lot of determination to max out your natural talent.

Blatter

Charged with Drink Driving today.

karma_

Blatter wrote: »

Charged with Drink Driving today.

A career ruined, he was set to become a City legend, fantastic talent and he squandered it.

opr

Ravel Morrison came to mind when reading that article. Obviously he has far more problems which are of his own making but the guy looked ridiculously talented when I've seen him. Stuck out like a sore thumb when watching youth football but seems intent on throwing it all away although he doesn't seem right in the head.

Opr

Caveman1

As much as I'd like to slate him it must be hard for a player so young to all of a sudden have more money than you can spend and women throwing themselves at you, it sounds like the life but is shows how easy things can go wrong. I see it a lot on Twitter, youth players tweeting pics of their ferraris or expensive watches etc, The clubs need to do more to help these players cope with all the fame & money.
Maybe bring back the cleaning of boots, cars of the senior players or something, that might give them a little perspective.

rodgered

Caveman1 wrote: »

As much as I'd like to slate him it must be hard for a player so young to all of a sudden have more money than you can spend and women throwing themselves at you, it sounds like the life but is shows how easy things can go wrong. I see it a lot on Twitter, youth players tweeting pics of their ferraris or expensive watches etc, The clubs need to do more to help these players cope with all the fame & money.
Maybe bring back the cleaning of boots, cars of the senior players or something, that might give them a little perspective.

What youth players do you see on Twitter doing that? Genuine question.

Paully D

Bloody hell:

GLaDOS

Looks in worse shape than me

Red Crow

Poor fcuker. I hope it all works out for him. That makes me really sad seeing that. Even if he was going onto to play for one our rivals it's never nice to see a players career ruined.

I hope he gets a break

Maire2009

Remember the name but can't remember too much about him if that makes sense ...

Reminds me of how Jack Wilshere was the next Liam Brady (and still is) when he emerged in the Arsenal youth teams. Scored a few stunners and then he got all this attention and it was said to be going to his head - apparently he stormed off home at half-time after Bould (then youth manager) took him off cos he wasn't pulling his weight. Then he made the odd first team appearance his head was said to have swelled a bit so he went to Bolton and he came back a man. So Arsenal FC need to be grateful to Bolton for that - he has matured so much and came back well from his injury.

There was another Arsenal player that was in the youth team who was meant to be the next big thing and he threw his shirt onto the ground after been subbed and he was sent packing by the club - I can't for the life of me remember his name but think he ended up at Watford or somewhere and restarted his career and is doing well now, but his name is completely eluding me ....

Basically, I'm saying it's all about the mentality.

EDIT: It was Jay Bothroyd

Mikeyt086

I'd say he some beast at 5-a-side now.

Chucky the tree

Eli Manning wrote: »

Poor fcuker. I hope it all works out for him. That makes me really sad seeing that. Even if he was going onto to play for one our rivals it's never nice to see a players career ruined.

I hope he gets a break

Injuries didn't help but from what I've read he basically pissed his career away himself, I wouldn't have any sympathy for him if that is the case.

EdenHazard

the funny thing is he's still on cities books. like s ireland i think even if he hadn't been distracted he still wouldn't have taken the step from city being a european challenging side(after their first takeover) to being championship contenders.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Paully D wrote: »

Bloody hell:

An athlete at the peak of his talent.... really is a shame how he let it all go.