Big things were expected of Marko Mitrovic when he joined Chelsea as a 16-year-old in 2008.
A prolific goalscorer in his youth, the Swede was snapped up by the Blues’ academy after making a name for himself at Malmo, having netted an astonishing 97 goals in 33 matches for the club’s under-16s.
GettyMitrovic bagged 16 goals in 29 games for Chelsea’s youth team in the 2009/10 season[/caption]
Mitrovic’s career initially promised to continue in this way, as he finished as top scorer in a Chelsea side that lifted the 2010 FA Youth Cup, getting on the scoresheet in a 2-1 Final win over Aston Villa.
Unfortunately for the former striker however, his progress was soon hampered by injuries, and he departed Stamford Bridge in 2012 without ever making a first-team appearance.
He went on to join Serie B outfit Breschia, but again struggled to rediscover the form which saw him billed as Sweden’s next big thing.
Spells in the Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark and Serbia would follow for Mitrovic, before calling time on his playing career with Portuguese third-tier side Beira-Mar in 2020.
And he has certainly enjoyed success in retirement, with the former Sweden youth international now banking himself a fortune through his company Arktis Naturals, which sells CBD products.
According to publication Sportbladet, Mitrovic has become a multi-millionaire through his new venture, which he founded in 2021.
The company is projected to make a turnover of £5million this year, and £15m next year, with the business idea coming after Mitrovic was recommended CBD during his injury-plagued career.
With his products made with athletes and those leading active lifestyles in made, Arktis Naturals has become a leading brand in the health and wellness industry.
Having founded the company with his younger brother Alexandar, their website explains the importance to both of helping others with their wellbeing.
It reads: “Our goal with Arktis Naturals has been deeply personal from the start.
GettyMitrovic helped Chelsea to lift the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 1961[/caption]
“We combine our deep passion for health and innovation with one mission: to help others optimise their minds and bodies through nature’s most powerful gifts, and to offer the most effective, natural alternative to traditional medicine.
“We believe in tackling the root of the problem, not just the symptoms. Our products combine the best of nature and science to create uniquely formulated products for your specific needs.”
And Mitrovic, who now lives in Dubai, has also spoken of the huge impact CBD has had on his physical wellbeing.
Speaking to Sportbladet, he said: “It was an incredible difference. Huge advantages compared to how I had been before. It was… spectacular.
“I think there is a legitimate medicine here. We are talking about something that can really help people.”
He continued: “First of all, I am referring to personal experiences. I can in and of itself point to the research that has been done to back up what I’m saying, but so far most of those studies have been done on mice.
“So I content myself with referring to personal experiences, personal experiences.
“I have my own story, but above all I can refer those who are interested to those who have tried our products. In Sweden alone, we have 30,000 customers, who are as happy as can be.”
Despite plenty of buzz surrounding him in his early days, Mitrovic only managed to score 14 times in his 10-year senior career.
His best return came in one of the final season of his career, when he scored four goals in seven outings for Beira-Mar in 2019/20.