Michael Johnson - Manchester City

GavRedKing

From the deleted thread : http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/premier-league-manchester-city-pay-johnson-123232425.html

TheDoc

No sympathy for this type to be fair.

Witnessed a fair few come back from England, and am still mates with some, who completely squandered the opportunity.

Its a once in a lifetime opportunity, that you need to put your heart and soul into for a few years to live comfortably for the rest of your life.

A friend, who now tears up five aside leagues for fun, who came back from a premier league team said the biggest mistake he EVER made was not asking for help. Every player has difficulty with moving abroad, playing for a big club, being propped up as special etc etc etc.

If you hit a slide like Johnson you either didnt ask for help, or werent worth giving

Paully D

EdenHazard wrote: »

whens his contract up? if i was him i would not be turning into a fat lump

brb hitting the gym
brb 2 holidays a month
brb pulling every night

I actually hope you soon see a girl naked.

kevthegaff

i just cant get over how much he looks like brian mcfadden in that pic

Al Capwned

Actually completely forgotten about this fella - shame to see it to be honest!

EdenHazard

Paully D wrote: »

I actually hope you soon see a girl naked.

pffft, when i decide brah. brb waiting for victoria justice

Xavi6

EdenHazard wrote: »

pffft, when i decide brah. brb waiting for victoria justice

banging rent boys

srfc19

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I'm surprised that there isn't language in pro contracts around physical fitness / ability to perform job to a reasonable level. That said, if they did tell him to stay away from training that would be a big factor in how he has got quite so bad out of shape.

Andy Reid would be screwed!!

Xavi6

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/1598245_manchester-city-fc-michael-johnson-deserves-sympathy-and-support-from-blues-fans

Manchester City FC: Michael Johnson deserves sympathy and support from Blues fans

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The critics waded in to Michael Johnson when it was revealed yesterday that his City career, which promised so much, had come quietly to a close.

The talk of him wasting his talent, of drinking away a sparkling career, of not caring, was soon splashed all over the internet.

The truth is that the lad, at 24 years old, is simply ill. And all the stories about his boozing, over-eating and gambling and his conviction for drink-driving are symptoms of the illness, at worst, or just details, at best.

Johnson deserves sympathy and support from City fans, not derision and disgrace.

The Blues paid up his contract last month, when it became apparent that there was little prospect of the Urmston-born midfielder ever resuming his career, certainly at the top level. They did so without making the news public to try to protect him.

But Johnson was pictured on Twitter on Monday looking overweight and dishevelled and the news leaked out that his eight-year association with the club had ended by mutual consent.

He had been allowed to stay away from the club for months to help with his treatment.

Since signing a new five-year contract in 2008, Johnson is believed to have picked up around £10m in wages and has played just 10 games for the Blues.

But once it was apparent that Johnson was not a waster, but rather a man with an illness, the money he has earned became an irrelevance.

Johnson initially said he did not want to speak about the termination of his contract and refused to confirm whether it also marked the end of his football career – although a comeback elsewhere appears highly unlikely.

When we asked if he had a message to the fans, who were disappointed that they would not see him fulfil his potential, Johnson replied: “I am disappointed more than anyone, but that’s the way it goes.”

He later rang us back with a prepared statement, to give City fans a glimpse of his problem, rather than the illusion which had prevailed.

It read: “I have been attending the Priory Clinic for a number of years now with regard to my mental health, and would be grateful if I could now be left alone to live the rest of my life.”

The_Kew_Tour

Wish him only the very best after reading that.

Sometimes people forget Footballers are only human like everyone else.

Fowler87

Sad but common enough story nowadays. Hopefully he recovers soon and makes another go of football further down the line. Still relatively young. Best of luck to him

Caveman1

I wonder if he had control over the wages City were paying him?

If the club and his family/agent knew he has mental health, alcohol & gambling problems, hopefully all the money he was receiveing was put by for him, would be a bit crazy to let someone with his issues carry on receiveing crazy sums of money every week.

Xavi6

From someone ITK -

Didi Hamann ‏@DietmarHamann

I hope Michael Johnson gets back on track ...the biggest talent in English football since Steven Gerrard ...its never too late Johnno

godtabh

Former Man City star Michael Johnson having treatment after suffering mental illness

Pity it might be to little to late

godtabh

godtabh wrote: »

Former Man City star Michael Johnson having treatment after suffering mental illness

Pity it might be to little to late

He was a very talented player but if the trappings were too much for him then its probably better for him personally that he is out of the game. More to life then a big wage packet every week and besides it looks like money wont be an object to him if he is smart enough to manage it.

Its a shame he wont maximise his talent potential because he was a great young player to watch the few times i seen him. I remember him being called 'Nijinkski' (in a nod to his similarity with Colin Bell) on MOTD2 one night after his performance in the Manchester derby back in 2007. The same week he scored a peach against Derby.

I always hate wasted talent and this is a horrible case of it but i suppose if it is better for the lads health to be out of the game then so be it.

I hope he can at least get back to some form of fitness whatever level he ends up at and give something back to the game. I suppose if he could go on to inspire future young greats while giving them the benefit of his own experiences then it wont be so bad. He has to learn his own lessons first though

Cienciano

Xavi6 wrote: »

Given that they've stood by him for the best part of five years I doubt it.

Stood by him, or he had a contract with him so they had no choice?

Caveman1

Caveman1 wrote: »

I wonder if he had control over the wages City were paying him?

If the club and his family/agent knew he has mental health, alcohol & gambling problems, hopefully all the money he was receiveing was put by for him, would be a bit crazy to let someone with his issues carry on receiveing crazy sums of money every week.

Id imagine he did. I mean to be fair he was a fully grown adult and unless he transferred the power of attorney over to someone then he was indeed in charge of his own money.

He may have had a few unscrupulous '5-bellies' type of people latching on to him

Cienciano

Cienciano wrote: »

Stood by him, or he had a contract with him so they had no choice?

Id imagine City though would have offered him f*ck off money alot earlier (and perhaps they did, just for MJ not to accept).

It could have been a case of them at least sticking by him to the point of trying to rehabilitate him enough to put him in the shop window. It would have been probably cheaper and less hassle to pay him off i mean surely if he wasnt looking after himself also then he was in some breach of his contract so they would have had a case to sack him. Though if he had mental health issues then it may have proved a legal minefield.

Nice comment from Didi Hamann there - What a class act and a gentleman he is.