I was called Man Utd 'next Giggs' before injury, now I have a £5m watch empire

Ramon Calliste was dubbed 'the next Ryan Giggs' and trained alongside Manchester United stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

But the Welsh prodigy was destined never to make it to football's highest level after suffering a cruel ankle injury.

Calliste has, however, found success and fortune in a world quite close to many footballers' hearts.

Players not only view high-end wristwatches as something to flaunt alongside their designer clothes, but as a shrewd investment.

Their sports cars will depreciate in value the moment they drive them out the showroom, while investments in racehorses and the stock market come fraught with risk.

But their Rolex, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille timepieces - some worth the equivalent of a week's wages for Premier League stars - will actually retain their value.

These young men on such eye-watering salaries also love the rarity value of exclusive watches that can't simply be bought in a shop but come invitation-only.

Marcus Rashford, who earns £315,000-a-week at Old Trafford, has an enviable watch collection, while his England team-mate Reece James told a GQ interview he is obsessed with them.

Manchester City hotshot Erling Haaland also has a big watch collection though inevitably Cristiano Ronaldo's selection may top the lot.

It's a market Calliste - who incidentally is one of just a handful of players to have bridged the divide between United and arch-rivals Liverpool - has tapped in to.

As a footballer himself, he was able to gain the trust of fellow professionals and his company, Global Watches, is believed to make £5million-a-year.

The luxury watch specialist, which has a branch in London's exclusive Mayfair, specialises in hard-to-find Rolex, Patek Philippe, Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet watches.

Some are worth in excess of £250,000. On just a normal day, Calliste says he trades watches worth between £50,000 and £70,000.

'When I realised football wasn't going to give me the life I desired, it was about setting up something else and moving fast,' Calliste, 38, told The Sun last year.

'I started to get involved in watches through contacts I had in the world of football.

'Once I saw it could become a viable business, I set up Global Watches in 2013 and it's become a really strong company that's now turning over millions.

'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.

'When you can take your inventory to a room of footballers, perhaps ten millionaires, that's better for all concerned.'

It isn't just the players who appreciate a good timepiece on their wrist. A number of Premier League managers past and present also have a penchant for nice watches.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has worn the Rolex Cellini, Richard Mille 010 and A Lange & Sohne Datagraph at various points.

Frank Lampard 'has more Pateks than the catalogue', joked James in his GQ interview, with the Swiss brand also favoured by David Moyes and Brendan Rodgers.

Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and Marco Silva of Fulham have been seen wearing Rolexes.

'Even when I was younger, 15 to 20 years ago, people were into their cars and watches,' Calliste told the Daily Telegraph.

'It's a different perspective now as they are seen as assets and investments. To see some of these players who I have contact with still and have nice pieces in their collection and paid very good money many years ago, kept them in pristine conditions and now they have gone through the roof.'

Calliste was still at school in Cardiff when United scouts first began watching him. He was 15 when invited to Old Trafford alongside his family in 2000, meeting legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who persuaded him to sign.

'I had massive respect for him and still do. He's a little bit intimidating still. Such a wise man like him has this special aura,' Calliste told the Manchester Evening News of Ferguson.

Calliste was part of the United side that won the prestigious FA Youth Cup in 2003 and was one of the players invited to train with the first team at their Carrington training base.

But in 2005, after the Football Association decided to combine club's under-17 and under-19 squads into one under-18 side, Calliste was one of the unlucky ones let go.

Ferguson broke the sad news to him on April fool's Day but it was certainly no joke.

Liverpool came in for the speedy forward but there was too much competition to make a breakthrough at Anfield.

Calliste dropped down the divisions to Scunthorpe but hadn't even made his debut when he severely damaged ankle ligaments playing a pre-season friendly at Brigg Town.

After a lengthy rehabilitation, he slummed it in non-league for a short time before quitting football to concentrate on building up his watch business.

Today he is based in Dubai, keeping a close eye on his Global Boutique on South Molton Street in central London.

Calliste added in his Sun interview: 'We sell watches, beautiful jewellery, and we have a certain amount of accessories, including Hermes bags.

'Having a Mayfair premises, with the amount of clients that walks in from around the world and the type of clients we attract, has been amazing for business.'