This article should be pinned up in the changing room at Millhose and Ideal Standard. what a waste of talent. 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 â bloated, unshaven, rough â 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 â and, in the process, we are reminded again that there is nothing quite so depressing as talent going to waste.
at 24 he's still young enough to get his head down and make a career of at least championship standard, but he'll have to accept this is where the hard work begins. he's got 2 years left on a lucrative contract. He needs a top man manager to help him back.
He's got no chance of turning himself around IMO. I'd wager the odds are he'll end up down the road as opposed to pulling his finger out and getting a grip. Sounds as much of a tool as Lee Sharpe to me.
Interesting story - I remember hearing that Nick Barmby had a very similar attitude to Gary Neville - and again a very good (and long) playing career. Shame it finished the way it did but that wasn't due to any lack of dedication from him
It's quite bizarre actually, I can remember quite vividly his first goal for City, against Derby County in 2007. Everyone was raving about him back then. I was still surprised when he joined Leicester last year, I guess that as an English football fan I look out for any remotely talented player in the hope our national side might actually compete at some point. PS. Was that City-Scunthorpe game really 3 years ago?! Feckin' hell, time flies!
Just look at him in this picture. What a ****ing waste. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ture--Manchester-City-youngster-takeaway.html Are you reading this Cam stewart.
At the risk of being controversial (me?) Im going to flag-up another much more high profile name of someone who I believe much like Johnson threw his talent away in the face of an addiction and never lived up to his outstanding potential. Michael Owen. Yes he played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Man Utd and has many England caps but for me he has hardly produced ANYTHING since the age of around 26. There was a time he was almost certain to be England's top scorer ever - you couldnt have got a bet on it - but now he wont do it. He has hardly played for 5 years and it's not as people claim due to 'injury', its because he has something else far more important to his life than foortball, namely horse racing. The only difference between his distraction and someone like Johnson's is that Owen hasnt got fat and damaged his health. The day he said he wouldnt even speak to us about a transfer was a huge bullet dodge.
These guy's should be ashamed of themselves, born with natural ability, in a sport with never ending money & too thick to realise it. Most of us on here would sell our Granny for a chance to play professional football, they have the opportunity and throw it away. Great post by the way.
Owen seemed to go downhill when he got those hamstring injuries when playing for Liverpool. Can't remember when that was ! I know he played for England far longer than he should have done. His form was terrible and he 'lived off' that goal againsat Argentina.
Interesting point, I wonder if you could? He doesn't look like he could run around a pitch for 5 minutes let alone 90. Footballers need to have their contracts treated in the same way as normal employees, they are far too well protected.
As I have posted on the Leeds board, he looks like King of the Chavs; Step forward Mickey Carroll. Ten million on fast cars, prossies and Ching. At least he didn't waste it Back on job seekers now.
It would be interesting if there was some breach of contract, especially in today's game with the need of fitness, but I guess it's all to do with proving it. BTW Carmine, who's Mickey Carroll?
Won £10,000,000 on the lottery in 2002 and was declared bankrupt in 2010. It's said he'd spent most of his win within 18 months. Nearly as big a waster as Johnson and they look like one another now.
