Reece Wabara: The football reject who created a million-dollar clothing empire

Reece Wabara is an English businessman and a former professional footballer who played for England at the youth level and Manchester City.

While still actively playing in professional football, in 2013, Wabara created a luxury fashion brand called Maniere De Voir, a brand that turned over more than $30 million last year.

Image credit: Instagram @reecewabara

The former Manchester City defender made only one appearance for the current Premier League champions, coming on as a substitute for Pablo Zabaleta against Bolton Wanderers in 2011.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here!

With big new signings joining the Manchester club because of the eye-watering rise in spending from the owners, Wabara and other youth players didn't have a chance, subsequently seeing the end of his spell there in 2014.

Between 2011 and 2017, Wabara played for various lower-league clubs, permanently for Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers, Wigan Athletic, and Bolton.

Wabara made 128 professional appearances in his career and scored three goals. The business mogul played six England youth games as well.

Feeling unfulfilled by his football career as he was slowly getting pushed out the Manchester City door, Wabara set up his clothing brand as a side project in 2013.

Image credit: Instagram @reecewabara

According to thesun.co.uk, Wabara said: "I kept asking, where can I maximize my potential to be great. I always had a way of dressing that was different, and Lewis (Morgan, co-founder of Gymshark) said to me, 'You should do something in fashion'."

Image credit: Instagram @reecewabara

In his first year in business, Wabara made just over $1 million, but now, ten years later, the company has made nearly $40 million.

Image credit: Instagram @reecewabara

According to thesun.co.uk, Wabara said: "I knew my football days at City were coming to an end, and my dad always taught me I needed a second option to ensure you're relevant and financially stable."

"I founded MDV in late 2013 and launched a collection. The first clothing I produced was tracksuits, T-shirts, and hoodies. I put them on the footballers I knew, and it took off."

Image credit: Instagram @reecewabara

Becoming a footballer is many young children's dream, and it was a clear risk for Wabara to end that dream and focus on his fashion business on a full-time basis at 26 years old in 2017.

According to Sports on Screen, the fashion owner said: "The transition from footballer to fashion owner was a gradual one, and only when the numbers and politics in football started to eat away at me did I need to make a choice."

Image credit: Instagram @reecewabara

Business is booming now for Maniere De Voir, with top celebrities like Raheem Sterling, Anthony Joshua, and Little Mix star Perrie Edwards all fans of his brand.

With the meteoric rise of the company, Wabara was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2021 and has recently signed a ten-year lease for the entire 5,189 sq ft retail space at 354 Oxford Street.

Image credit: Instagram @reecewabara

The journey of Reece Wabara is extraordinary, from putting £15,000 of his own money in to start the company and now being worth more than England star Marcus Rashford and award-winning rapper Stormzy.