How ex-Ipswich Town and Barnsley player became one of the richest men under 40 | OneFootball

After retiring at 26, Reece Wabara has become one of the richest men under 40

Giving up on a career as a professional footballer is tough for some, but for Reece Wabara, it became a decision which transformed his life.

The former Manchester City academy graduate left the professional game in 2017, aged 26, having enjoyed a career which predominantly consisted of loan spells in the Championship and League One.

Wabara made over 100 appearances in the EFL, but only managed three minutes of first-team football at Manchester City in the 2010/11 season.

Unfortunately, Wabara's time in the Manchester City academy coincided with a period where the soon-to-be Premier League giants weren't focusing on bringing through players from their youth teams as much as they are now.

In the end, though, it was an early business decision in 2013, during his latter years at the Etihad Stadium, which would end up seeing him become one of the richest men under 40 a little over a decade later as he set up his clothing line, Maniere De Voir.

Reece Wabara's £15,000 risk turned into £35 million reward

Reece Wabara was still contracted to Manchester City at the time he made his first investment in his clothing line, Maniere De Voir.

The former England U20 international was looking into new ventures, and he subsequently placed £15,000 into the clothing line - a company which now earns £34.7 million per year, according to the Sun.

The brand opened its first store in 2023 on Oxford Street in London, ten years after Wabara made his first contribution to the brand, with on-loan Arsenal winger Raheem Sterling and boxing legend Anthony Joshua being two household names who have worn clothing produced by Maniere De Voir.

Choosing to hang up his boots to focus on fashion instead of attempting to work his way back up the football pyramid wouldn't have been an easy decision, especially given that his transfer from Manchester City to Doncaster saw a career resurgence almost, with his most appearances in one season coming in his first permanent campaign in South Yorkshire, but it's a decision Wabara has yet to regret 12 years on.

Family and fellow businessmen gave Wabara key inspiration to invest in fashion

With his days at Manchester City coming to an end in 2013, Wabara took on some key advice from his father.

He told the Sun: "My dad always taught me I needed a second option to ensure you're relevant and financially stable."

The 33-year-old took that advice alongside some from fellow businessman and co-founder of popular leisure brand, Gym Shark, Lewis Morgan, to make the move into the clothing business.

"I kept asking myself, 'Where can I maximise my potential to be great?' I always had a way of dressing that was different and Lewis said to me, 'You should do something in fashion," he told The Times in 2021.

So, despite the wages of footballers offering sums that many can only dream of, it was outside the professional game where Reece Wabara earned the majority of his money, at the amounts that many current pros can only dream of making in their careers.