For some, moving to Manchester City isn't always the glitz and glamour it is made out to be.
So many young players arrive with a dream of playing at the very highest level, but that often comes with a bigger risk than it does a reward.
Clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea are constantly chasing the next biggest thing, with hundreds of teenagers arriving from all around the globe in the hopes of making their dreams a reality. But what if it doesn't work out?
Former Manchester City star Felix Correia says he regrets his move to the Etihad Stadium
Felix Correia moved from Sporting Lisbon's esteemed academy back in 2019, darting across Europe to sign for Manchester City.
But after loan spells aplenty and no first-team pathway to work directly with Pep Guardiola – ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest managers ever – Correia decided that life at the Etihad Stadium wasn't all it was indeed hyped up to be.
“I would have stayed [in Lisbon]," said the now 23-year-old in an interview with O Jogo detailing his time in England.
"But these are completely different times, there is a different focus, a different structure, which sees Sporting’s future differently.
"Today, yes, I would have stayed. My mindset was completely different and it helped me a lot to go abroad, live alone and have other experiences in my life, not just on the field.
"I think that was very important. In other words, I am a completely different Felix today.”
Why Joao Felix To Chelsea SHOULDN'T Work... But Does
In FourFourTwo's view, Correia is right to highlight the risk that comes with moving to such a big club at a young age and who knows, maybe his time at the very top level will come, given he is still only 23.
Manchester City are back in Premier League action this weekend, as the Citizens take on Southampton on home soil.
