Han Willhoft-King, a 19-year-old footballer, has made the unconventional choice to prioritize academics over a professional career at Manchester City. Born in London, England, Willhoft-King began his football journey at the Tottenham Hotspur academy at a young age. In summer 2024, he joined Manchester City's academy, where he was part of the U21 squad and frequently called upon by Pep Guardiola to train with the first team.

Willhoft-King was once tipped for a promising professional career as a deep-lying playmaker. Simultaneously, he excelled academically, demonstrating remarkable learning ability. His A-level grades included A* in Math, A* in Economics, and an A in History.

Willhoft-King with Manchester City's youth team.

Facing a pivotal decision, Willhoft-King had to choose between becoming a professional footballer—a childhood dream shared by millions—and pursuing elite education. "I don't know many people who reach the Manchester City U21 team and decide to stop," Willhoft-King, whose father is British-Indian and mother is Chinese-American, told the British newspaper Guardian. "Because once you play for Manchester City U21, everyone assumes you will pursue a football career to the end."

However, Willhoft-King defied expectations. After the first few weeks of the 2024-2025 season, he applied to university and took the Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT). Despite a short preparation period, he achieved excellent scores. Oxford invited him for an interview and extended an offer for January 2026.

His decision to choose Oxford came after many sleepless nights. As news of his enrollment spread, he recounted that "about 90 people all asked the same question: 'Why?'"

The short answer involved injuries. In the 2021-2022 season, at 16, Willhoft-King was a standout at the Tottenham academy, where he had been since age 6. He was discovered playing for TFA, a grassroots club in north London, alongside players like Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, both now in Arsenal's first team. Willhoft-King earned a spot in the England U16 squad and trained with the Spurs first team under Antonio Conte, remembering the kindness of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Eric Dier.

His first serious injury struck at the end of that season, impacting him throughout the rest of 2022, when he began receiving a scholarship at Spurs. In his second season, Willhoft-King suffered further injuries, which recurred after his move to Manchester City in the 2024-2025 season, sidelining him from September to early 2025. Upon recovery, the Manchester City U21 squad was already settled, making it difficult for him to secure a spot, despite receiving a contract extension offer from the club.

Yet, injuries were only part of the story. Willhoft-King consistently felt drawn to academics, a passion stemming from his father, Jorg, a former university philosophy lecturer who now advises an international study abroad consultancy, and his mother, Laura, an architect.

He attended Highgate Wood, a public school, until year 11. Tottenham provided private tutors for Willhoft-King in Math and Economics. "I had about two extra sessions per week, two hours each, and mostly self-studied," he recalled. He completed his History A-level after joining Manchester City.

During his second scholarship year at Tottenham, a "dark period" marked by injuries according to Willhoft-King, he began considering US universities. This interest was further sparked when the club hosted a speaker from a company specializing in helping English players secure sports scholarships in the US.

In September 2022, the Guardian recognized Willhoft-King as Tottenham's most promising first-year academy scholar. That article was used by a recruitment agency to promote him to US universities, drawing particular attention from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Harvard University. Born in 2006, he admitted that during his unhappiness at Tottenham, he viewed the US as an escape, offering both a prestigious university education and the chance to pursue professional football, with the ultimate goal of being selected in the MLS Draft.

Willhoft-King declined contract offers from Tottenham and accepted a scholarship to UCLA starting January 2025. However, two events then unfolded. First, he signed a six-month contract with FC Cincinnati 2, a team in the third-tier US league MLS Next Pro, and flew to the US to train, aiming to maintain fitness until his enrollment at UCLA. Then, after a few weeks, Manchester City unexpectedly presented an attractive offer: a one-year contract with an option for another year.

"At that time, my long-term plan was still to become a professional player, and I thought I would regret it my whole life if I didn't try my hand at Manchester City," Willhoft-King reminisced. "I would always ask myself: 'What if I had taken that chance?' Now I've tried it and can leave football with peace of mind, knowing I gave my best. That brings me a lot of comfort and reassurance."

Willhoft-King during his time with Tottenham Hotspur's youth team.

Willhoft-King described feeling "overwhelmed, like meeting idols" when he and his Manchester City U21 teammates were called up by Guardiola to train with the first team, primarily to act as "sparring partners" simulating the pressing tactics of upcoming opponents.

"Tottenham is a quality club, but Manchester City is on a completely different level," Willhoft-King stated. "De Bruyne, Haaland... these are world-class players. But you also realize they're just normal people. They joke with each other, criticize each other when they make mistakes. And Pep, he's truly vibrant. The energy he brings, his hand gestures, his raised voice... it's astonishing."

"But then, I don't want to say disillusioned, but you gradually realize... training with the first team becomes something no one looks forward to, it's strange," Willhoft-King continued. "Because you just chase the ball like a dog for half an hour, sometimes an hour, just doing pressing duties. It's not a pleasant experience, especially when you're trying to press De Bruyne, Gundogan, or Foden. You can't get near them, so frustration overshadows the initial excitement."

"Disillusionment" is perhaps the most fitting word to summarize his story. Despite his continued love for the game and Manchester City's willingness to activate the one-year extension option, he remained resolute in closing the door on football.

"I wasn't enjoying it anymore," he stated frankly. "I'm not sure why, maybe it's the environment. I often felt bored. You finish training, go home, and do nothing. Compared to now, 24 hours feels too short. I study, hang out with friends, play for the Oxford representative team, and also for my college team."

"I always felt intellectually understimulated in the professional football environment," Willhoft-King explained. "Don't misunderstand, I still love it. But I always thought I could do more. I wasted too much time in the day. I needed something different, and Oxford excites me, as do the people there. Injuries were also a significant reason, but it's too easy to justify it that way. In reality, I needed something more intellectually stimulating; it might sound arrogant, but it's true."

"Suppose I had a career in League One or the Championship; I would earn a lot of money then. But I also asked myself how much I would genuinely enjoy and be happy, and in my mind, I didn't get a definitive answer. Furthermore, even in the best-case scenario of playing top-level football for 10 or 15 years, what then? I believe university will provide me with a foundation to pursue and do something more sustainable over the next 10-15 years. So, this can be seen as a long-term plan," Willhoft-King concluded.

By Ha Phuong (according to Guardian)