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