Err its a Daily Mail article, not Guardian... and the Daily Nazi Mail is hardly a reliable source.
Regardless, there is no doubt that the UK has a lot of "soft power" even now due to its historical empire AND its membership of the EU. Now that the EU part is gone, the influence will decrease. Your empire is gone, your military is gone and now your biggest economic hammer is gone. Your former colonies in the commonwealth hate you and see a weak country they WILL try to exploit... something they had not dared before. It is shocking how bad the UK reputation is, when you see that Belgium trades more with India than the UK. And dont even try to blame the EU for that one..
That exceptional achievement was achieved centuries ago and was based on war and mass death. This debate is about recent history.. like after WW1 at a minimum, but more like after WW2. In this period there was a massive decline in UK influence and by 1973 the UK was defacto bankrupt. Only access to free trade and later on Thatcher saved the UK economy from become the European Argentina. The direct result was an almost total loss of most industries and what we see today. Now you are losing the free trade aspect, and that will cause massive problems because as you state... you have few natural resources.
"Daily Nazi Mail is hardly a reliable source"
You also don't seem capable of comprehending the irony and hypocrisy of your own post. So now the Daily Mail is Nazi? What a ludicrous and juvenile thing to say. The EU is where the Nazis were born and where they prospered until the Allies (including the UK) put paid to their fascist, genocidal and Xenophobic murdering of tens of millions of people. For the home of the Nazis to level accusations against the same people who helped defeat the Nazis, is laughable. Probably just the result of someone wanting to be insulting.
I agree that the UK ran into a poor time economically when it decided to let its colonies become independent and when Socialism and militant Unionism affected the economy. Can you name a single country in history that has not had its ups and downs? Unlike some nations in the EU, who have invaded others, committed genocide etc, the UK has an exceptional record. It's not all about personal wealth an economics. It's also about having pride in yourself, your community and your country. There are many millions of people within the EU who cannot feel the same pride (with any justification) after taking into account the recent history of the place.
As for losing the "free trade aspect". You obviously haven't heard that the EU and UK are currently negotiating a free trade deal. The US has expressed a desire for a free trade deal with the UK, as has my own country, Australia. Countless other nations have expressed the same desire.
Germany exports 900 000 cars a year to the UK. Their motor industry is already struggling. Do you really think they want to lose that business? The EU exports far more to the UK than vice versa. It has far more to lose. If there is a No Deal, I will be delighted as my country will benefit, as will many other nations like the US, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India etc which have historical, cultural, ancestral and language links to the UK, that no EU country has.
I totally agree that the UK will have difficulty economically whilst extracting itself from the EU and building up new trade relations with other nations, but the long term effects will be great. Just having the independence to have decisions that affect British people made by British people will be worth billions of pounds a year. The freedom to control its own borders and prevent excessive immigration will also greatly benefit the nation. In fact, both legal and illegal immigration is already down.
My own children will benefit as it has already been announced that it will be made easier for people from Australia to work in the UK. Those that come in from English speaking nations will fit in far easier to British society and the British workplace than EU people.
It's a win win for all except EU citizens. That's a pity, but there are 27 or so nations within the EU. They can get by without the UK. Just as they did before 1973....except for the odd war or two. Lol!