Josko Gvardiol's £77m move to Manchester City from RB Leipzig in August 2023 made him the second-most expensive defender of all time.
But the 23-year-old Croatia international revealed he nearly quit his "dream" career in football when playing for Dinamo Zagreb.
"I was thinking about quitting because I like basketball as well," the centre-back told BBC Sport.
Aged 16 and struggling to get game time for Zagreb's youth team, Gvardiol considered avenues away from football.
"I wasn't sure in football any more because when you get to the training ground you don't feel happy any more, you know?
"I was just trying to find other solutions and to feel happier than I felt before because all of my friends were playing basketball."
Gvardiol bided his time and broke into the senior team, winning back-to-back titles with Zagreb and signing off with a league and cup double before sealing his move to the Bundesliga for £16m - a record fee for a Croatian teenager.
He impressed in his two seasons in Germany and after 87 appearances for RB Leipzig, Gvardiol signed a five-year deal at Manchester City in 2023.
Harry Maguire is the only defender in world football to have moved for more money, joining Manchester United from Leicester City for £80m in 2019.
"My dream obviously was to become a professional football player, but I didn't know that I was going to go that far," Gvardiol added.
"If you go five years back and ask me, do you see yourself at Manchester City in 2023, '24, '25? I would say no chance, like really impossible."
Image source,Getty ImagesImage caption,
Pep Guardiola said Gvardiol can play at both left-back and centre-back
Gone are the days where Gvardiol struggles for minutes.
He has become a key component of Guardiola's system, with no defender having scored more goals in the Premier League since his arrival.
"In my head last season I was like, 'no matter what, how I feel, no matter if I am fit or not, I just want to play. I just want to compete to help the team'," Gvardiol said.
"I could feel it on my body, especially in the summer. I had a [knee] injury but now it's finally good after six months."
Last season, he clocked up playing time of more than 6,000 minutes for club and country, featuring in 55 of City's 61 matches and missing only 140 Premier League minutes in the campaign.
In a recent Fifapro report, Gvardiol ranked eighth among the top 10 players by matchday squad inclusions for 2024-25 worldwide.
"We cannot forget last season he was one of the most important players, in terms of he played and played and played," Guardiola said.
"He's so young, physically he is outstanding, can play in two roles perfectly. He's incredible, coach-able, listens a lot, wants to improve and that will help him to be a better player."
