Johnson reveals mental health problems triggered his sad exit from Man City



Michael Johnson has spoken for the first time about his sad exit from Manchester City.

The one-time City prodigy was released by the club before Christmas after they finally admitted defeat in their fight to keep him away from alcohol and gambling.

It comes as a picture emerged of him earlier this week looking far different from the fresh-faced youngster who was once tipped to play for England.

Fat lot of good: The Michael Johnson picture which emerged yesterday (left) contrasts with his appearance in his early, promising days at Manchester City



In an interview with the Manchester Evening News , Johnson revealed that he has been battling mental health problems and has spent tim e in the Priory.

He said: 'I am more disappointed than anyone but that’s the way it goes.

'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.'

City have now paid off midfielder Johnson, who was pictured on Monday night at a takeaway looking vastly different from his playing days.

Johnson experienced a fall from grace after once being tipped to play for England.

The image that emerged this week appeared to show Johnson looking bulkier than when he played in the Barclays Premier League.

And it has now been revealed that Johnson, 24, was released by City before Christmas after club bosses gave up on him.

City have paid up the remaining six months of his whopping £25,000-a-week contract.

Former City team-mate Joey Barton tweeeted: 'Just read about young Michael Johnson at Man City. So sad. Had the world at his feet. That's what too much pressure/£, can do to young lads.'

Johnson was once compared to Colin Bell, who told the Manchester Evening News: 'It’s a terrible shame. It’s hard to accept when your career ends early and for his to end at his age will be really difficult to take.'

The midfielder's former team-mate at City, Dietmar Hamann, tweeted: 'I hope Michael Johnson gets back on track ...the biggest talent in English football since Steven Gerrard ...its never too late Johnno.'



Johnson was the talented youngster Sven Goran Eriksson believed would be an England star.

Johnson signed for City from Everton's youth team in 2004, taking just two years to make it in to the first XI.



He made his debut in the 2006-07 season and featured 10 times under Stuart Pearce.



It was the next season which he truly made his mark - Johnson scored two brilliant goals, against Derby and then Aston Villa.



All was good. He was appearing regularly and impressing. But he suffered an abdominal injury and also had a double-hernia operation, which kept him out between December and March.



The next season he began in Mark Hughes's first-team plans, signing a five-year deal.



His manager said: 'He understands where the club wants to go and I am sure that he wants to be part of it. We fully expect him to stay with City for years to come.

'He is an outstanding young player with a great talent and a great future ahead of him and we want that future to be at City, so we are working to that end. The guy has everything in front of him.'

Johnson was also expected to make it in to the England team sooner, rather than later.



Hughes continued: 'We have all been impressed with what he has shown so far, and I am sure he will be an England regular.



'Michael needs to keep working, but we can help him. We want him to be the best he can be because he has all the right qualities.'

Outcast: Johnson was released from his £25,000-a-week Manchester City contract Johnson's career statistics

Man City Games: 37 Goals: 2

Leicester City Games: 7 Goals: 0

It was not just Hughes who was enamoured with him - Johnson had been rumoured to be a £10million target for Liverpool.

Comparisons to Bell, widely regarded as Manchester City's best ever player, had also cropped up.

But in late September he suffered a recurrence of the abdominal injury and it kept him sidelined for an entire year.

He appeared just twice in 2009-10 and not at all the following season.

Partly this was because of injury, but he had lost his shape and physique during this time and people often saw him enjoying nights out. Last year he was sent to Leicester City on a season-long loan - reported to have cost them £1m - but had been sent back by January because of injury.

The next we heard of him was a drink-driving charge which saw him fined £5,500 and banned from the roads for three years. Change: Injuries and off-the-field problems took their toll on Johnson

