I was the 'next big thing' at Man City - but left and now I'm worth £83m

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

He's not the only young talent who hasn't lived up to expectations. Numerous players emerge from top-tier academies, some even make their debut, but then fail to reach the required standard and end up playing in the lower leagues.

Some manage to return to the top and, even if they don't, Manchester City take just as much pride in producing academy players who enjoy lengthy careers in the Football League as they do those who permanently join their own first team. If you were to categorise the career trajectories of all City academy players based on the level they achieved or their future careers, one notable exception would stand out.

Reece Wabara. The 32-year-old multi-millionaire who traded football for fashion and never looked back. After joining City at the age of 14, Wabara made his Blues debut on the last day of the 2010/11 season.

ALSO READ: Man City given major 115 charges update as United and Liverpool launch legal challenge

ALSO READ: Man City's new triple threat looming after injury crisis causes early season slump in form

He was loaned to Ipswich and Oldham, where he netted the winning goal for Latics in a memorable FA Cup upset against a formidable Liverpool side in 2013 under the stewardship of City legend Paul Dickov. He subsequently had loan stints at Blackpool and Doncaster before City let him go in 2014.

Wabara experienced a transition from Dickov's Doncaster to stints at Barnsley and Wigan. While he was moving through League One and the Championship, something off the field began to rise - profoundly impacting his life.

Reflecting on his football trajectory, Wabara admitted to CEOCAST in December 2022: "It's my fault," as quoted by The Manchester Evening News. "I was complacent, I didn't go hard enough.

"It was too easy up until 18, then everyone started to catch me up.

"I was the best player. You're a kid, you don't have that understanding. When it's easy and you don't know it's easy until retrospect, you don't go hard."

The footballer also shared his early ambitions and, in turn, the reality of his career. Wabara added: "Everybody told me how good I was going to be, that I'd play for England, that I'd be Manchester City's next right-back.

"And I wasn't good enough and everybody caught me up. I went on a few loans, didn't perform, you know your time is up. I'm very paranoid now that it only takes a year and you're done, one big mistake and you're out of the game."

As his journey with City concluded - and his attempts to ascend back into top-tier football commenced - Wabara also embarked on building his brand, Maniere de Voir. With school friend and Gymshark co-founder Lewis Morgan's encouragement, he put his flair for fashion into establishing his business, gaining positive reactions from peers and friends within football circles to his designs.

"I was playing for Wigan, we got promoted and I was in the team-of-the-year," Wabara shared. "A member of the management said I'd been fantastic, but they felt I was focussing on the business too much.

"I knew I was playing a game of politics, in that moment, when I started to get the switch... I thought to myself I can't have my future in someone else's hands. I had the business, that was me taking that stand, in the moment I was like; 'You know what, I'm done.'

"People saw me as flashy, not dedicated, focussing on the business. I started the clothing business, people said I just wanted to have a brand. They didn't see that those things were just me as a human being. I bumped into old managers and coaches, they say they saw it in me and I was misunderstood.

"It was too late when I started to prove myself, I had the reputation. You just have to be exceptional from the beginning, it's very hard to drop down and get back up. It's the same in football. You don't see people spoken about as the next best thing, drop down, and then become that best thing."

Wabara was let go by Wigan and then took a year-long break from the sport before making a comeback with Bolton in February 2017. After regaining his match-fitness, the former England Under-20 international ended the season strongly - with the Trotters securing promotion.

However, by this time, his business was flourishing and his enthusiasm for football was waning. Speaking on the High Performance podcast - as quoted by The Manchester Evening News - Wabara said: "I decided to completely stop because the business was doing really well and focus is important.

"I was 25 or 26, I had to make a choice, what's more long term? Where can I be the best of the best? And unfortunately at the time I could have played in the Premier League but to be a Champions League, World Cup-winning footballer was low percentage. I had to make the logical choice and that was to continue the business and take it as high as possible."

Wabara has not looked back since with Maniere de Voir now turning over millions. He made it on to the Sunday Times' Young Rich List last year, boasting an estimated worth of £83million - even surpassing the likes of Marcus Rashford and Stormzy.

The company, which operates from Manchester, recently opened a flagship store on London's Oxford Street. Wabara frequently uses social media to share advice, post aspirational messages and showcase his purchases.

He maintains that he harbours no regrets about his footballing career - and considering his business success, who could fault him - although he concedes that he would have approached things differently if given another chance.

"I already threw away one high-level, prosperous career. I had a lot of talent and was touted to be 'x, y and z'," he confessed on the CEOCAST. "I failed, I know how that felt and it's not going to happen again. I'm happy that those situations happened to me, now I know that if I can achieve 'x, y and z', don't let myself be the root of that failure."

"I was at City and around really high performing people at the top of their game, watching how they operated on a daily basis," he stated on the High Performance podcast. "I could take knowledge from them and see that's what I have to do. Whether it's [Sergio] Aguero, David Silva, they're always doing the same thing every day no matter their success.

"I wish I'd have learned those skills earlier, or had the intelligence to analyse and observe it, in hindsight I see that person was so consistent and never changed their output and input to their craft. I was a little naive to spot those signs early on. But it definitely aided me in business.

"I'm glad I missed the opportunity of Man City, England, being very highly-rated. I was too complacent, that's the bottom line. I always worked hard but I could have done more. It's not regret because I wouldn't be here if I didn't have that. But if I could live life again, I'd be playing in the Champions League or Premier League now."

When asked if he would be playing at the top level had he approached his football career with the mindset he has now, Wabara responded without hesitation. He said: "100 per cent, without a shadow of a doubt.

"But I didn't so it's one of those things. At the same time, if I didn't have that failure or slight regret, I wouldn't have been able to achieve what I have now."

Reflecting on his achievements and featuring in the Times' Young Rich List, he remarked last year: "I honestly don't feel I've achieved that much. I honestly feel like I'm just getting started."

Few would bet against him.

Click here to read article