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Han Willhoft-King Leaves Man City Path at 19 to Study Law at Oxford

He cites loss of enjoyment from grueling first-team sessions, injuries, limited minutes.

Overview

  • The former Tottenham academy midfielder joined Manchester City’s under-21s in 2024 and trained with Pep Guardiola’s first team alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
  • He logged only one Premier League 2 appearance for City’s under-21s, coming on late for Nico O’Reilly.
  • Injuries, including a four-month layoff last season, disrupted his development and contributed to his reassessment.
  • He earned A*, A*, A at A-level in maths, economics and history, passed the national law aptitude test, and secured a Brasenose College place confirmed in January.
  • Now studying law, he plays for Oxford’s university side and says first-team drills that felt like “running after the ball like dogs” made clear the professional track no longer fit.