At Manchester United, Ramon Calliste was once considered «the new Ryan Giggs.» However, his football career didn’t quite live up to that comparison. He has since found far greater success as an entrepreneur.
Being compared to a legend can be flattering for young footballers, but it rarely benefits their careers. Few can live up to such immense expectations. Ramon Calliste experienced this firsthand. In his youth at Manchester United, he was hyped as «the new Ryan Giggs,» but he never reached the sporting heights of the Welsh Wizard. In contrast, his business ventures have been thriving for years.
Born in December 1985 in Cardiff, Wales – coincidentally Giggs’s hometown – Calliste was recognized as an exceptional talent early on. By the age of 13, he was nominated for the Welsh U19 team. He withdrew from a contract with Coventry City because the club didn’t field him in certain matches. «I figured out the reason was that I could impress scouts from other clubs. They didn’t want me to be poached,» Calliste later shared in an interview with The Sun.
However, rival club scouts were still impressed. Manchester United scout Tony Hopkins recommended the young talent to his club. In 2000, United’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson convinced the then 14-year-old to move to Manchester.
Recalling his first day at Old Trafford and meeting Ferguson, Calliste said, «I saw everything for the first time and went into the famous room where everyone meets him. It was something special. Not much impressed me when I was young, but he had the aura of a great man,» Calliste stated.
Manchester United Released Ramon Calliste in 2005
Interestingly, he wasn’t considered a Giggs successor for his playing style but rather for his background. While Giggs was a nimble winger known for his dribbling, Calliste was more of a goal-scoring center forward. The 15-time Welsh U21 international played for United’s U17 and U19 teams, among others, but he didn’t make an early breakthrough into Ferguson’s first team. As part of a restructuring in the youth department, the Red Devils released him in 2005.
He described it as «a kind of shock» to Wales Online. However, Calliste harbors no resentment, instead speaking of «bad timing» and emphasizing that he remains a fan of the club to this day.
Calliste briefly joined United’s fierce rivals, Liverpool, also without success. A later attempt to revive his career at lower-league team Scunthorpe United was hampered by a severe ankle injury involving multiple ligament tears. Calliste later played for Farnborough and Cambridge City, but without significant impact.
Calliste, however, didn’t dwell on not making it as a professional. He had new ideas – and one of them made him what he is today: a wealthy man.
Ramon Calliste Founded Global Watches in 2013
In 2013, Calliste founded Global Watches, a company specializing in the sale of luxury watches from brands such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Hublot. The business took off spectacularly, generating millions in revenue within just a few years. According to a report by The Mirror, he now earns up to €17 million per year. His clients include many footballers and celebrities, such as Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.
«Through my contacts in the world of football, I started getting involved with watches. When I saw that it could be a profitable business, I founded Global Watches in 2013, and it has become a truly large company that now turns over millions,» Calliste said about his start.
He is now based in Dubai. From there, he oversees his Global Boutique, opened in 2021 in London’s upscale Mayfair district, which now offers not only watches but also handbags and other luxury accessories. «Having a location in Mayfair with so many international customers and the type of clientele is just fantastic for our business,» Calliste stated proudly.