Manchester City teenage midfielder quits Etihad Stadium for Oxford University | OneFootball

The Manchester City Academy system has been on the receiving end of a unique decision this year, with one of their highly-rated talents snubbing the game entirely in pursuit of education and a change of career-path.

Han Willhoft-King’s departure from elite football comes as a rarity in an industry where young players often sacrifice everything to reach the senior game, and the prospect of securing themselves a career full-time.

The 19-year-old midfielder had progressed from Tottenham Hotspur’s youth system into Manchester City’s setup, earning England youth caps and even experiencing first-team training environments under renowned coaches.

His development had once marked him as one of the country’s emerging prospects, particularly during a standout under-16 season at Spurs, where he played alongside fellow highly regarded talents such as Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.

But injuries repeatedly disrupted his momentum as Willhoft-King’s first major setback arrived late in his Spurs scholarship, followed by further layoffs that hindered both his second year in north London and his first campaign at Manchester City.

A lengthy spell on the sidelines between September and the new year left him struggling to break back into a well-settled Under-21 squad, contributing to a sense of frustration and stagnation at a critical point in development. At the same time, academic interests deepened, something fostered by a family background rooted in philosophy, architecture and education.

Now, speaking exclusively to The Guardian in a wide-ranging report, the 19-year-old midfield talent has spoken of his decision to step away from football in order to apply to universities and sit the law national aptitude test, which he aced.

In light of that decision and the subsequent test result, Oxford invited the teenager to interview and an offer of a place came in January.

“I don’t know many people who, when they reach Man City Under‑21s, would pack it in at that point. Because when you are playing for Man City Under-21s, the expectation would be to pursue a career,” said Han Willhoft-King.

Offering more broad insight on his experience at the Etihad Stadium, where he joined after developing through Tottenham’s Academy, Han Willhoft-King explained, “Tottenham is a good team but Man City is another level. [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Erling] Haaland… these are the best in the world. But you also realise they’re normal people.

“They have a bit of banter, call each other out for making mistakes. And seeing Pep [Guardiola]… he’s just so, so animated. The energy he brings, the hand gestures, raising his voice. It’s actually pretty remarkable. Then… I don’t want to say disillusioned but you realise… well, training with the first team became a thing no one was really looking forward to, strangely enough.

“You’d just be pressing. We’d be running after the ball like dogs for half an hour, 60 minutes. It’s not a very pleasant experience, especially when you’re trying to press De Bruyne or [Ilkay] Gündogan or [Phil] Foden. You can’t get near them, so the feeling of not wanting to do this overcomes being starstruck.”

But what about the final decision to move away from a hugely promising football career and the opportunities presented by Manchester City, where Willhoft-King was on the verge of first-team stardom?

“I wasn’t enjoying it. I don’t know, maybe the environment. I’m bored often, as well. You’d train, come home, wouldn’t really do anything,” said the teenager. “Contrast to now… I’m struggling to find hours in the day, either studying, going out with friends, playing for the university first team, also my college.”

He continued, “I always felt under-stimulated in football. Don’t get me wrong. I still loved it. But I always felt I could be doing more. I was wasting hours of the day. I needed something different and Oxford excited me; the people, too. I guess that’s the reason.

“Injuries were a big factor but that’s the easy answer. I felt I needed something a bit more… mainly intellectually, which sounds quite pretentious. Say I had a career in League One or Championship… you make good money. But how much would I enjoy it? I wasn’t sure.

“Also, best-case scenario – you’ll play for 10, 15 years and after that, what? I thought going to university would provide a platform for me to do something at least for longer than the next 10 to 15 years. So, it’s a bit of a long-term thing, as well.”

Han Willhoft-King’s choice to leave Manchester City and commit fully to education may inspire further discussion within academy football, especially around mental stimulation, long-term career planning, and the pressures placed on young athletes.

His journey could also pave the way for clubs to rethink how they support dual-career pathways, encouraging players to keep academic options open, particularly in the event of sporting careers not going in the direction some dream of.

As for the teenager himself, Willhoft-King now begins a new chapter at Oxford University – one that may ultimately lead to a future in law rather than the Premier League, but one he believes will offer fulfilment far beyond the typical lifespan of a playing career.