Michael Johnson

[-V-]

He's 24 and he plays for Manchester City. They need to give him a proper chance, he's been unfairly treated

[Shaggy]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/15/michael-johnson-released-manchester-city?CMP=twt_gu

Michael Johnson, once tipped as an England international and one of the best young players to emerge through Manchester City's academy in the last decade, has been paid off from his contract after the club finally ran out of patience with him.

Johnson, convicted of two drink-driving offences last September, was offered a severance package from his £40,000-a-week contract just before Christmas after several years in decline. The club decided not to announced it publicly but it has come to light now after a photograph of the 24-year-old appeared on the Internet looking bloated and unfit.

Once the subject of a £10m bid from Liverpool, the former England youth international has suffered a series of injury problems but also caused considerable disquiet behind the scenes because of his attitude towards being a professional footballer and, specifically, his fondness for a night out.

His last appearance for the club was as a second-half substitute in a Carling Cup tie against Scunthorpe in October 2009. Sven-Goran Eriksson once said he would not swap Johnson even for Steven Gerrard but the days when he was described as "the new Colin Bell," breaking into City's first team at the age of 18, were short-lived.

Roberto Mancini and his predecessor, Mark Hughes, both concluded that Johnson did not have the personality to play football at the highest level. At one point City were so embarrassed by his unkempt state in his pen-pic club sources say the photographer was asked to come back to take it again.

Johnson was moved to Leicester City two years ago, on a season-long loan that cost the Championship club £1m, but was signed off, then sent back, at the midway point.

After that, almost nothing had been heard of him until he crashed his car, over the drink-drive limit, in Manchester last May. It was one of two occasions when he has been arrested for drink-driving in the space of three months, leading to a £5,500 fine and three-year driving ban.

[Shaggy]

He's 24 and he plays for Manchester City. They need to give him a proper chance, he's been unfairly treated

Huh? How? He got pissed 5 nights a week.

I saw him a few months back - in fact I think I posted it in this thread. Sitting outside a bar near mine drinking several Duvels at 1pm.

[Captain Stu]

All he needs is a muumuu now.



Plenty of young footballers have problems with injuries and most of them don't resort to becoming a fat *******.

[Norbs]

Huh? How? He got pissed 5 nights a week.

I saw him a few months back - in fact I think I posted it in this thread. Sitting outside a bar near mine drinking several Duvels at 1pm.

Good taste in beer mind

[Yozza]

Manchester City have paid off and booted out midfielder Michael Johnson, who was pictured on Monday night looking bloated in a takeaway.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz2I36O8nBR
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[Maxiedge]

By my reckoning, they've terminated his contract with about a £2.5m pay off.

I genuinely don't know whether I feel sorry for him or think he's been an idiot. Already looks quite weathered for his age.

[Shaggy]

He's a jammy ******* and no-one will convince me otherwise.

[Rich]

He's a jammy ******* and no-one will convince me otherwise.

[Neil Young]

It's incredible they've had to pay him anything. You'd have thought there'd be something in contracts about taking reasonable steps to ensure fitness or body fat levels or something.

[Maxiedge]

You don't think he might be an alkie? I wouldn't be surprised if he pissed up that severance pay within a couple of years.

[Shaggy]

It's incredible they've had to pay him anything. You'd have thought there'd be something in contracts about taking reasonable steps to ensure fitness or body fat levels or something.

[Chazza]

City ****ed up giving him a 5 year contract.

Since making his debut for them in 2006 he has played for them 45 times and made a total of 54 career appearances. Since signing the 40k contract he has played about 10 times.

40k a week for 10 games FFS.

[dom9]

You don't think he might be an alkie? I wouldn't be surprised if he pissed up that severance pay within a couple of years.

It's clear that something isn't right.

Then again it's a bit rich for some of the people in this thread to criticise him for eating and drinking too much.

[Alex]

It's clear that something isn't right.

Then again it's a bit rich for some of the people in this thread to criticise him for eating and drinking too much.

Really? I dont think so. He was in a position most on here would kill for. His job was basically to stay fit and healthy and play football. I think its only right that he gets pelters for not even managing that.