Ex-Man Utd star failed to live up to 'next Giggs' hype but owns £5m business

A former Manchester United star had been tipped to be the 'next Ryan Giggs' - but quit football and now runs a £5million-a-year business selling high-end watches.

Ramon Calliste was highly-rated by higher-ups at Old Trafford, even being called-up to train alongside the first-team. At the time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were both still at the Red Devils, with Calliste training with them - and he was expected to follow in the shoes of Welsh wing wizard Giggs.

Despite being well-regarded by United, Calliste was left frustrated by his lack of playing opportunities. He left Old Trafford in 2006, opting to join Scunthorpe United before a severe ankle injury put paid to his career.

Although he ultimately failed to live up to the hype around him, Calliste still has fond memories of his time at United. He also admitted that he was left over-awed by the experience of meeting Sir Alex Ferguson and United's top stars.

"When I got to Old Trafford I met Sir Alex Ferguson, which was an incredible experience. Seeing everything for the first time, I went into the famous room where everyone meets him," he told The Sun.

"It was a special, I wasn't fazed by much when I was young, but he had the aura of a great man. We didn't always train with the first team, but sometimes we'd have five-a-side games. I aspired to train with them permanently, and it was amazing when I did get the opportunity. I trained with Rooney and Ronaldo, which was a big deal."

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Unfortunately for Calliste, he suffered a dislocated ankle during his first pre-season at Scunthorpe, which led to him giving up football. Instead, the former footballer turned to business, with his company Global Watches now raking in £5m per year according to The Sun.

"I have trouble with that ankle today. I see a specialist regularly and I'm probably going to have to have another operation. To come back, I would've had to look at going into semi-pro," he added.

"That just wasn't for me. From being the creme de la creme at the top and then being at the bottom of the chain, it wasn't something that's in my genetics. If I wanted to be involved with something, I want it to be the best. I thought, at that point football was just a distraction and I needed to build a real life.

"In the end, football just wasn't meant for me. With all the ability I had, it just wasn't my destiny. You have to go through a hell of a lot of steps to get through life. I don't regret anything that happened to me in football, I learned a lot.

"When I realised football wasn't going to give me the life I desired, it was about setting up something else and moving fast. I set up Global Watches in 2013 and it's become a really strong company that's now turning over millions."

Calliste uses the contacts he still has in football to grow his business, with the former United starlet also looking to open a property business. For now, he is focused on Global Watches though, which has been highly lucrative.

"Running any business is very difficult. I was lucky it was very lucrative from the beginning. Some watches we sell can go from £250,000. Having my footballing history has also helped," he said.

"I dealt with footballers in the beginning, selling them watches and I already had that trust there. Even today, clients come online and they see it's me and they feel comfortable buying from me.

"There might be other companies that are stronger than mine, but because I played the game it does help the business. When you can take your inventory to a room of footballers, perhaps ten millionaires, that's better for all concerned."

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