Fatty fatty bum bum.

[Ryan]

He's a Sunday league footballer.

 

[Halmeister]

Well fair play to him for punching so outrageously far above his weight for so long then.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Michael Johnson has asked to be "left alone to live the rest of my life," after confirming he has been receiving treatment for mental health issues.

Talking to the Manchester Evening News, the 24-year-old revealed he has been receiving treatment at the Priory Clinic for several years.
The Priory, which has treated numerous sports stars including Ricky Hatton, Paul Gascoigne and Stan Collymore, specialises in helping people deal with mental illness and addiction problems.

The MEN reported that that City opted to pay up Johnson's contract in December and release him in order that he can move on with his life.

Johnson 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.”

 

[Holle]

Tragic story.

 

[themn]

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

 

[gkmacca]

@IanHyland
Man City have cancelled Michael Johnson's contract just two years after Liverpool bid £10 million for him.Liverpool have now upped the bid to £20 million.

Fucking Daily Mail wanker.

It's a bit ironic Hyland has long been laughed at for always making sure his head is tilted upwards in a bid to hide his double chin. What a sad story about Johnson, terrible waste.

 

[Red_Water]

He could have been everything Hendo has now become.

 

[Leo]

It's a bit ironic Hyland has long been laughed at for always making sure his head is tilted upwards in a bid to hide his double chin. What a sad story about Johnson, terrible waste.

I have very little sympathy for a man with two drink driving charges as Johnson does.
It's sad as it's a huge talent wasted but I'd be fairly certain that some of his problems were self inflicted.

 

[juniormember]

He certainly had the talent...

 

[RedZeppelin III]

i've always wondered about that priory clinic . i mean are they any good , it's hard to tell from the people (celebs) you hear about going there and then how they are pretty much the same after they come out.

 

[Rosco]

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

Joey Barton might be telling the truth

 

[Silver Sean]

He looked a fantastic player when he broke through at Citeh, and had a season where he played superbly.
Looks to me like a young man who could not cope with the pressures and injuries (he was out for an entire season with an abdominal injury). He looks like he's deeply depressed and him asking 'to be left alone to get on with my life' quote is quite disturbing too. Drink and gambling addiction, bad injuries, a mentality that is just not cut out for all he was expected to achieve.
I don't care how much money he has, or has spunked up the wall, you cannot buy mental health, happiness and self esteem. I hope he manages to salvage something from all this.

 

[gkmacca]

I have very little sympathy for a man with two drink driving charges as Johnson does.
It's sad as it's a huge talent wasted but I'd be fairly certain that some of his problems were self inflicted.

Yes, fair enough. It's just sad to see talent wasted.

 

[juniormember]

I'd loved to have pissed away my career in my early twenties with over 10m in return.

 

[Whaddapie]

It's a terrible waste of talent.

It's also a very sad, troubled existence for somebody so young. Which is, by far, the bigger tragedy.

 

[localny]

i've always wondered about that priory clinic . i mean are they any good , it's hard to tell from the people (celebs) you hear about going there and then how they are pretty much the same after they come out.

Clinics can only do so much. An enduring recovery comes from the person themselves and a daily will to make their life better. Sadly, it doesn't work for everyone and rarely for celebrities who usually have a lot of enablers around (people who will encourage the old behavior). plus Drink is such a part of the culture. Hard to avoid really.

 

[Gary25]

I've always thought Nolan would and should have played for a better club than he has done.

He can get a goal but on the whole, Nolan's a very limited footballer imo.

 

[gene hughes]

Surely part of being talented is having the ability not to fuck up like Johnson. Saying Johnson could have been brilliant if he hadn't been a boozer is just as logical as saying I'd have been brilliant if I'd been able to run and control a ball and shoot.... and not been a boozer.

 

[Buddha]

i've always wondered about that priory clinic . i mean are they any good , it's hard to tell from the people (celebs) you hear about going there and then how they are pretty much the same after they come out.

It's a haven for therapists who've trained for the wrong reasons (and can't get any nhs work).

A highly dysfunctional client-fleecing operation.

 

[Judge Jules]

Surely part of being talented is having the ability not to fuck up like Johnson. Saying Johnson could have been brilliant if he hadn't been a boozer is just as logical as saying I'd have been brilliant if I'd been able to run and control a ball and shoot.... and not been a boozer.

I don't agree, gene. George Best was the greatest footballer I've ever seen in my life or ever expect to see. The fact that he p!$$ed the second half of his career away is a separate issue altogether.

 

[RedStar]

I'd have him here. Richards at RB, Johnson at LB. Great.

Hes a good player but his career has gone backwards since the money arrived, he was a better player at 19 than he is now, his career isnt over or anything like it, he will probably have to move this summer though. He was just the most obvious example of how they had a pretty good youth system and have ruined every one of the players it produced

 

[Gary25]

Hes a good player but his career has gone backwards since the money arrived, he was a better player at 19 than he is now, his career isnt over or anything like it, he will probably have to move this summer though. He was just the most obvious example of how they had a pretty good youth system and have ruined every one of the players it produced

Thought Richards was very good last season tbh. His best season in years.

 

[keniget]

I never thought Johnson really did enough to warrant the hype he got from some quarters. It's more likely that his career would've ended up like Ireland's (who for a while looked great) rather than Gerrards.