10 of the biggest wastes of talent in football

#9 Adam Johnson

Johnson's career ended on a controversial note

Adam Johnson was the talk of the town when he left Middlesbrough for Manchester City in 2010, with several English clubs interested. Considered the brightest young thing in English football, the winger with a wand of a left foot soon put on an English shirt, appearing 12 times for the Three Lions.

Rumours of a party lifestyle abounded as the Englishman’s form began to dip, leading to a fallout with then Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. Johnson decided to up sticks and move to hometown club Sunderland in a bid to reignite his career, but little did he know that it would prove to be the downfall of his career, and probably his life.

The winger did not set the pitch on fire at the Stadium of Light with any regularity, but it was off-field activities that proved his undoing. Convicted of grooming an underage fan, Johnson was sent to prison, serving a six-year sentence, thus surely ending his professional career as a footballer.

While speaking at his trial, Johnson blamed his own ‘stupidity and arrogance’, saying:

“You get put on a pedestal. People scream your name. It's the best thing in the world. You everything done for you and get a lot of things easy.”