Micah Richards
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
, sports pundit for
Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
and
BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
, and as an ambassador of
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
. As a player, he was a
right back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
who played in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
and
English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engl ...
for
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
, and in
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
for
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
. On making his full
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
debut in November 2006, Richards became the youngest defender to be called up to the England squad. He won 13 caps for England between 2006 and 2012, and played in the
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
squad for the 2012 Olympic football tournament. Richards began his career at Manchester City, making 245 appearances across all competitions in ten seasons, winning a Premier League title and an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
. After a season on loan at Fiorentina in Italy's Serie A, he joined Aston Villa in 2015. He played 31 times for Villa until October 2016 – several knee injuries restricted his appearances – before retiring in July 2019. He became a football pundit after his retirement.


Club career


Early career

Although Richards was born in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, he grew up in Chapeltown,
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
. Richards began playing football when he was young and he played for the
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
youth system as a striker, but he was released when he was around eight years old. He also represented Leeds Schools FA (Leeds City Boys) at a young age. Richards later moved to playing in either the centre–half or right–back positions. He later played for the
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The history of Oldham Athletic ...
youth system, moving to
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
as a 14-year-old, with Oldham reputedly having a 20 per cent sell-on clause. In July 2001, Manchester City reportedly tried to buy out the clause, but Oldham refused. He also attended the Brazilian Soccer Schools scheme and retains strong links with the programme, with his father Lincoln running a Brazilian Soccer School in Chapeltown, Leeds. Richards progressed through the ranks of Manchester City's Youth Team and Reserve Team. Despite initially struggling to get a YTS contract, he later signed his first professional contract with the club in 2005.


Manchester City

In the summer of 2005, Richards was called up by
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
's first team for the
Premier League Asia Trophy The Premier League Asia Trophy (formerly the FA Premier League Asia Cup) is a biennial pre-season association football friendly tournament in Asia. The two-day competition was inaugurated in 2003 and is "the only Premier League-affiliated comp ...
. He was later promoted to the first team in early October 2005. Richards made his first-team debut on 22 October 2005 against
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, coming on as a substitute for
Danny Mills Daniel John Mills (born 18 May 1977) is an English former professional footballer best known for his time at Leeds United. His main position was right-back, though he could also play as a centre-back. On 7 August 2009, he announced his retirem ...
in the 85th minute of a 1–0 defeat at
Highbury Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor house was situ ...
. After the match, he said it was the most memorable day of his life. It was not until 1 February 2006 that he made another appearance, again as a late replacement in a 3–0 win over
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
. Eleven days later he made his first start, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–2 win over
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...
. His first goal came on 19 February, heading in a last-minute corner to earn a 1–1 draw away to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
in the fifth round of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
. Manager Pearce praised his performance after the match. Richards swore on live national television when interviewed after the game, later reflecting that "I won the Premier League and played for England but it seems everyone always remembers me best for swearing live on BBC One on a Sunday afternoon". Following this game, he then received a handful of first team football for the remaining matches of the 2005–06 season. At the end of the 2005–06 season, he went on to make sixteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions. In July 2006, Manchester City rejected a bid of £5 million for Richards from
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
. On 25 July 2006, he signed a new four-year contract, quashing rumours of a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium. At the start of the 2006–07 season, Richards helped the side keep two clean sheets between 23 August 2006 and 26 August 2006. However, during a 1–0 loss against
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
on 11 September 2006, he was criticised by Pearce after reacting furiously when he was substituted in the 60th minute and threw his shirt to the ground and waved his arms in disgust. Despite this, Richards continued to remain in the first team for the side and was praised once again by Manager Pearce for his professionalism. At one point during the 2006–07 season, he played in a central midfield position, due to limit of midfielders. Richards then scored his first goal of the season, in a 1–1 draw against Everton on 30 September 2006. He appeared in every match until he was dropped in December, due to a leg injury following a 2–1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur on 16 December 2006. But he made his return from injury, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 win over
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
on 26 December 2006. In a follow–up match against West Ham United, Richards kept another clean sheet, in a 1–0 win. Over the next months, he competed with
Hatem Trabelsi Hatem Trabelsi ( ar, حاتم الطرابلسي, Ḥātem Ṭrabelsī; born 25 January 1977) is a Tunisian former professional footballer who played as a right-back for CS Sfaxien, Ajax, Manchester City and Al-Hilal Riyadh. At international le ...
and
Danny Mills Daniel John Mills (born 18 May 1977) is an English former professional footballer best known for his time at Leeds United. His main position was right-back, though he could also play as a centre-back. On 7 August 2009, he announced his retirem ...
over the right–back position. However, Richards suffered a calf injury and had to be substituted during a 2–0 win over
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
on 17 March 2007, resulting in him sidelined for the remaining matches of the season. Despite this, Richards was nominated for the
PFA Young Player of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the s ...
award at the end of the 2006–07 season. Although he lost out to
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
, he was nevertheless awarded the Young Player of the Season by the Official Supporters' Club. At the end of the 2006–07 season, he went on to make thirty–five appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Throughout 2007, Richards was linked with a move away from City, Stuart Pearce said "I am not actively looking to sell Micah because he has a great future here. Whatever offers come in for him, it is going to take a ridiculously big offer to get him out of this football club. I would love to see Micah stay here, captain the club, and maybe be here for 10 years and carry the club on his back if he can. He is good enough to do it. I have not worked with anyone so good and so young." He later responded to the transfer speculation that he reaffirmed his commitment to stay at Manchester City. In the 2007–08 season, Richards continued to be in the first team, having recovered from a calf injury and played in the pre–season friendly matches. Richards started the season well when he helped Manchester City's defence to keep three clean sheets in the first three league matches, including against
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
,
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. His performance was praised by Manager
Sven-Göran Eriksson Sven-Göran Eriksson (; born 5 February 1948) is a Swedish football manager and former player. After an unassuming playing career as a right-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management between 1977 and 2001, winning 18 ...
. As a result, he was named the Barclays player of the month award for August. Richards then captained the team for the first time on 16 September 2007 against Aston Villa in the absence of teammate
Richard Dunne Richard Patrick Dunne (born 21 September 1979) is an Irish former footballer and current television pundit for BT Sport, who played as a defender. He made 431 Premier League appearances, including 253 for Manchester City. Dunne began his prof ...
, making him the youngest ever City first team
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, beating the 21-year-old Steve Redmond. After the match, he said it was the "proudest moment" of his career. Following a 6–0 loss against
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
on 27 October 2007, Richards acknowledged his mistakes for conceding "a couple of goals" on his columns. After missing one match due to an injury, he returned to the starting line-up against
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on 11 November 2007, and kept a clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw. Since the start of the 2007–08 season, Richards regained his first team place, playing in the right–back position. It was announced on 8 February 2008 that he signed an improved contract to last until June 2013. However, by the end of February, Richards suffered a knee injury that saw him sidelined for six weeks. Although he returned to training in early–April, Richards never played for the side for the rest of the 2007–08 season. During the season, he was involved in heated rows with the opposition teams, which resulted in him getting booked. Despite this, Richards was nominated for a second time for the PFA Young Player of the Year award at the end of the 2007–08 season. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he went on to make twenty–nine appearances in all competitions. At the start of the 2008–09 season, Richards played his first full match back from injury in the 2–0 win against
EB/Streymur EB/Streymur is a Faroe Islands, Faroese semi-professional association football, football club based in Streymnes and Eiði. The club was founded in 1993, as result of the merger between Eiðis Bóltfelag, EB and Ítróttarfelagið Streymur, Strey ...
in the first qualifying round of the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
on 17 July 2008. However, during a 3–0 win over
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
on 24 August 2008, he collided with team-mate
Tal Ben Haim Tal Ben Haim (or Tal Ben Haim I, he, טל בן-חיים; born 31 March 1982) is an Israeli footballer who last played for Beitar Jerusalem. He can play at either centre back or right back. He has played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bolton Wanderers ...
after a clash of heads, resulting in him being substituted and taken to hospital with a concussion. But he was released from the hospital after the result in a scan came back was all clear. Richards was able to return to the first team, starting the whole game and keeping a clean sheet, in a 3–0 win over Sunderland on 31 August 2008. He then captained Manchester City for the first time this season, helping the side progress to the UEFA Cup Group Stage after beating Omonia 2–1 on 2 October 2008. Since the start of the 2008–09 season, Richards continued to regain his first team place, playing in the right–back position despite facing competitions from
Nedum Onuoha Chinedum Onuoha (born 12 November 1986) is an English former professional footballer and television pundit for ESPN. He also works for Manchester City as a community ambassador. As a player he was a centre back, but could also play at right ba ...
and
Pablo Zabaleta Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod (; born 16 January 1985) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a right back. Zabaleta could operate on both sides of the pitch as a full-back and was known for his tenacious style of play, an ...
. However, his performance received criticism by fans throughout December. On 22 March 2009, he scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season with a header in a man of the match performance giving a 1–0 victory over
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
at the City of Manchester Stadium. However, both Richards and Manager
Mark Hughes Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh football coach and former player who is the manager of Bradford City. During his playing career he usually operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United, an ...
played down training ground bust-up after the British newspapers claimed the pair had argued during the training sessions, insisting it was a minor situation. In the last game of the season against
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
, he set up a goal for
Felipe Caicedo Felipe Salvador Caicedo Corozo (born 5 September 1988) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Saudi Arabian club Abha. A full international from 2005 to 2017, Caicedo represented Ecuador at the Copa América in 20 ...
to score the only goal of the game. Despite being sidelined on two occasions later in the 2008–09 season, he went on to make fifty appearances and scoring once in all competitions. During the season, Richards spoke out about the new ownership with the club that it could take four years to reach their potentials. In July 2009, Richards was diagnosed with
swine flu Swine influenza is an infection caused by any of several types of swine influenza viruses. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) refers to any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As ...
while on holiday in Cyprus, and was kept in isolation after returning from
Ayia Napa Ayia Napa ( el, Άγια Νάπα tr, Aya Napa, ), officially romanised Agia Napa, is a tourist resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus. Etymology The name Ayia Napa is derived from a Venetian-era monastery of the same ...
. He was able to recover and featured in the club's remaining pre–season matches. At the start of the season, Richards started the season well when he kept three clean sheets in the first three league matches. He then played a vital role against Arsenal on 12 September 2009 when he set up the club's first two goals, in a 4–2 win. From the start of the 2009–10 season, Richards continued to face competition from Onuoha and Zabaleta for the right–back position, resulting in his being placed on the substitute bench over the season. In spite of this, he regained his first-team place, playing at centre–back, or right–back when there was an absence in the club's defence or when Zabaleta was played in a different position. His lack of playing time led to reports that he was expecting to leave the club, a claim denied by both Richards and Manager Hughes. His first goal of the 2009–10 season came on 12 December 2009, in a 3–3 draw against Bolton Wanderers. His second goal of the season then came on 11 January 2010, in a 4–1 win over
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
. Despite facing his own injury concerns during the 2009–10 season, Richards went on to make twenty–nine appearances and score twice in all competitions. Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Richards said he announced his intention to stay at the club and dismissed suggestions of leaving. Following this, Manager Robert Mancini expected Richards to fight for his first team. He was featured in the starting line-up for the first five league matches of the season. During this, Richards played a role when he set up the club's second goal of the game, in a 3–0 win over Liverpool on 23 August 2010. Since the start of the 2010–11 season, Richards continued to face competitions with
Jérôme Boateng Jérôme Agyenim Boateng (born 3 September 1988) is a German professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for French Ligue 1 club Lyon. Boateng started his career at Hertha BSC where he developed from the youth ranks to the first team. Aft ...
and Zabaleta for the right–back position. Despite this, he appeared in the starting line-up, mostly making starts in the club's cup competitions. It was not until on 27 November 2010 when Richards scored his first goal of the season, in a 1–1 draw against Stoke City. Two months later on 30 January 2011, he set up a goal for
Edin Džeko Edin Džeko (; born 17 March 1986) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Inter Milan and captains the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Džeko was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for three years in a ...
, resulting a 1–1 draw in the
fourth round Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, which saw them earn a replay at the City of Manchester Stadium. In the fourth round of FA Cup replay against Notts County, Richards scored the club's fifth goal of the game, in a 5–0 win to send through to the next round. A month later on 13 March 2011, he scored again in a FA Cup match, in a 1–0 win over Reading. Despite facing his own injury concerns he faced later in the 2010–11 season, Richards started for City as they beat Stoke City 1–0 at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in the 2011 FA Cup Final. Following the match, ITV, who aired the FA Cup final, apologised after both Richards and
Mario Balotelli Mario Balotelli Barwuah (; ''né'' Barwuah; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss Super League club Sion. Balotelli started his professional football career in 2005 at Lumezzane, before ...
swore live during post-match interviews on the pitch. At the end of the 2010–11 season, he went on to make thirty–one appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. At the start of the 2011–12 season, Richards set up the two goals in the first two league matches to give Manchester City a perfect start to the season. By the end of August, he signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2015. Richards made his UEFA Champions League debut, starting the whole game, in a 2–0 loss against Bayern Munich, in what turned out to be his only appearance in the competition. Since the start of the 2011–12 season, he established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the right–back position. But Richards found himself rotated under Mancini's management, which saw him dropped from the first team at times. Richards then set up two goals in two matches between 15 October 2011 and 23 October 2011, including one in a 6–1 win over
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
, Manchester United. This was followed up by making his 200th appearance for Manchester City, in a 3–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 October 2011. It was not until on 19 November 2011 when he scored his first goal of the season, followed up by setting up the club's third goal of the game, in a 3–1 win over Newcastle United. After the match, his performance was praised by teammate, Joleon Lescott. Between December and February, Richards found himself out of the first team on three occasions, due to injuries. He captained the side on three occasions as well: twice against Liverpool in both legs in the League Cup and once in the league against
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
. Towards the end of the 2011–12 season, Richards’ playing time was reduced and found himself placed on the substitute bench, due to the hamstring injury he sustained. Despite this, Manchester City won the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
in 2011–12, and Richards was nominated for the club's Player of the Year award. In addition to making thirty–seven appearances and scoring once in all competitions, Richards finished the season with five assists – the most of any defender in the Premier League. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Richards suffered an ankle injury during the Summer Olympics tournament and was sidelined for a month. By mid–September, he returned to full training. It was not until on 6 October 2012, Richards made his first appearance of the season, starting the whole game, in a 3–0 win over Sunderland. He went on to make three more appearances for the side throughout October. However, Richards suffered a knee injury during a 1–0 win over Swansea City and was sidelined for four months. By March, he returned to full training. It was not until on 17 April 2013, Richards made his return to the first team, starting a match before being substituted in the 83rd minute, in a 1–0 win over
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
. However, his return was short–lived when he was dropped by Mancini in the first team, including the
FA Cup Final The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the FA Cup, Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the List of sports attendance figures, most attended domestic football ev ...
. But Richards made his return to the starting line-up for the remaining three matches of the season, including being a captain against Reading on 14 May 2013. At the end of the 2012–13 season, he went on to make eight appearances in all competitions. At the start of the 2013–14 season, Richards said he is going to fight his way back to the starting line-up, under the new management of
Manuel Pellegrini Manuel Lúis Pellegrini Ripamonti (; ; born 16 September 1953) is a Chilean professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Real Betis. As a coach, he has managed teams in Spain, England, Argentina, Chile, China and Ecuador. ...
. Around the same time, Richards dismissed transfer speculation that he is leaving the club after reports claims that clubs from Europe were interested in signing him. However, he suffered a thigh injury that saw him sidelined throughout August. It was not until on 24 September 2013 when Richards made his first appearance of the season, starting as captain, and set up the club's second goal of the game, in a 5–0 win over Wigan Athletic in the third round of the League Cup. A month later on 19 October 2013, he made his first Premier League appearance of the season, starting the whole game, in a 3–1 win over West Ham United. In a 2–0 win over Newcastle United on 30 October 2013 in the round of 16 of League Cup, Richards captained the side for the whole game throughout extra time to send the side through to the next round. Following this, he appeared on the substitute bench, having lost his place in the first team to Zabaleta. However, during a 3–2 win over Bayern Munich on 10 December 2013 in a UEFA Champions League Group Stage match, Richards suffered a hamstring injury and was sidelined for a month. He did not make his return from injury until on 15 January 2014, starting a match, in a 5–0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the third round replay of the FA Cup. Following this, Richards made two more appearances in the FA Cup matches later in the 2013–14 season. Despite this, he continued to have his first team opportunities limited for the remaining matches of the season. As a result, it was reported in March 2014 that Richards turned down a new contract offered by the club, leaving his future uncertain. He later confirmed the news in September 2014. Despite Manchester City winning the league again in 2013–14, he made only two league appearances and missed out on a Premier League winner's medal. Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Richards was expected to leave Manchester City. It came after when he was linked away from the club, as his contract was expecting to expire at the end of the season. Amid the transfer speculation, Richards made his only appearance of the season for Manchester City, coming on as a late substitute, in a 3–0 loss against Arsenal in the FA Community Shield. On 10 June 2015, Richards was released by Manchester City. By the time he departed the club, Richards was described by local newspaper
Manchester Evening News The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 201 ...
as "a true survivor" since the takeover in 2008. Since leaving the club, Richards believed that Manchester City will never use youngsters in the future.


Fiorentina (loan)

On 1 September 2014, Richards signed for
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
on a season-long loan. The loan fee was £3.5m rising to £4.7m should the transfer had made permanent at the end. Seventeen days after signing on 18 September 2014, Richards made his Fiorentina debut in a UEFA Europa League match against
Guingamp Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 6,895 as of 2017, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Gui ...
, coming on as a substitute for former City teammate Stefan Savić, and set up the club's third goal of the game, in a 3–0 win. Three days later on 21 September 2014, he made his league debut for the club, coming on as a late substitute, in a 1–0 win over
Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...
. On 28 September 2014, Richards made his first Serie A start for Fiorentina against
Torino Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
. Richards chose not to remain at Fiorentina; he only made 10 appearances in the league and a further seven in European competitions as manager
Vincenzo Montella Vincenzo Montella (; born 18 June 1974) is an Italian retired footballer and current manager, who played as a striker. He is current manager of Süper Lig club Adana Demirspor. Montella's nickname during his playing career was "Aeroplanino", i ...
switched to a 3–5–2 formation after Richards had arrived. He also faced his own injury concern along the way.


Aston Villa

On 17 June 2015, Richards signed for
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
on a free transfer after agreeing a four-year contract. Upon joining the club, he was given a number four shirt ahead of the new season. Richards was named their on-field captain for the upcoming Premier League season on 5 August, and on his debut three days later, Villa won 1–0 away to
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
. During a 2–1 loss against Swansea City on 24 October 2015, he was involved in an altercation with Federico Fernández. Following this, Richards served a three match suspension after being involved in an incident at the tunnel during the match. On 28 November 2015, he scored his first goal for Villa, heading an equaliser in a 2–3 home loss to
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
. However, Richards suffered a knee injury that saw him miss four matches. His absence was commented on by pundit
Stan Collymore Stanley Victor Collymore (born 22 January 1971) is an English football pundit, sport strategist, and former player who played as a striker from 1990 to 2001, most notably for Nottingham Forest and later Liverpool, who he joined from the for ...
following the club's run of three draws in four matches. It was not until on 26 December 2015 when Richards made his return to the starting line-up, in a 2–0 loss against
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
. After the match, he took to his Twitter account and criticised pundit
Ian Wright Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English television and radio personality and former professional footballer. He works as a pundit for BBC Sport and ITV Sport. Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal ...
's comment about the club's performance. Richards then scored his second goal for the club, in a 1–1 draw against
Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play their ho ...
in the third round of the FA Cup. After the match, Richards was praised by Manager
Remi Garde The Remi (Gaulish: ''Rēmi'', 'the first, the princes') were a Belgic tribe dwelling in the Aisne, Vesle and Suippe river valleys during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Their territory roughly corresponded the modern Marne and Ardennes and p ...
when he dealt with the situation with the club's supporters. Having started out playing in the centre–back position, he then played in the right–back position. As captain, Richards found themselves fighting for survival from relegation following a poor start since the start of the season. Towards the end of the 2015–16 season, Richards was featured in and out of the first team, as the club were relegated to Championship. At the end of the 2015–16 season, he went on to make twenty–eight appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. Following Villa's relegation, several clubs were rumoured to be interested in signing him, with an alleged £5 million release clause becoming a point of discussion, but he stayed at the club as the summer transfer window closed. His first appearance of the 2016–17 season came on 10 August 2016 against
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
, captaining the side for the whole game, in a 3–1 loss in the first round of the League Cup. He made his first start of the 2016–17 Championship season in a 1–1 draw at home to
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
on 15 October 2016, which was also
Steve Bruce Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a centre-back. He most recently managed West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Br ...
's first match in charge of the club, but was sidelined with a knee injury until the new year. Since returning from injury in January, Richards placed on the substitute bench for the remaining matches for the 2016–17 season. At the end of the 2016–17 season, he went on to make three appearances in all competitions. He did not make a single appearance in 2017–18, with Bruce attributing that to consistent lack of fitness. Despite speculation that Richards would leave Aston Villa before the transfer deadline for the 2018–19 season, he remained at the club, although he was not considered for first team selection and spent another season without making an appearance. His knee issues continued to keep him out the team, and he alleged that fans abused him during this injury. Richards was released by Aston Villa at the end of the 2018–19 season. He announced his retirement from playing on 26 July 2019, at the age of 31.


International career


England youth team

Richards made two appearances for the England under-16 side. For the next two years, he was called up to England U18 and England U19.


England under-21 team

On 16 August 2006, Richards made his
England U21 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team. This team is for England players aged under 21 at the start of the calen ...
debut, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against Moldova U21. During a 2–0 win over German under-21s on 10 October 2006, opposition player
Aaron Hunt Aaron Hunt (born 4 September 1986) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He spent most of his career at Werder Bremen, making his first-team debut at the age of 18. In the Bundesliga, he also repres ...
racially abused both Richards and
Anton Ferdinand Anton Julian Ferdinand (born 18 February 1985) is an English former footballer who most recently played for St Mirren as a centre back. He was a product of the West Ham United academy and has also played for their senior team, Queens Park Ran ...
, leading Hunt to be banned for two matches. This led the
German Football Association The German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund ; DFB ) is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB has jurisdiction for the German football league system and is in charge of t ...
successfully overturned the suspension. For most of his exile from the senior team, Richards was still young enough to be eligible for the under-21s, and played regularly. He was called up for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship held in Sweden, where he scored the winning goal against Finland as England went through the group stages undefeated. England reached the final of the competition, but lost 4–0 to Germany. Richards played in four of England's five matches, including the final. He captained England U21 on three occasions between late–2009 and once in his only appearance of 2010. During qualifying for the 2011 tournament, Richards captained the team. However, he had to withdraw from the squad for the finals due to injury.


England senior team

In November 2006, Richards received a call-up to the
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
squad for a friendly against the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
after playing only 28 professional club matches. He had previously won three caps for the England under-21 team, and was chosen to start the match on 15 November 2006 against the Netherlands after regular right back
Gary Neville Gary Alexander Neville (born 18 February 1975) is an English football pundit and former player. He is also a co-owner of English Football League club Salford City. After retiring from football in 2011, Neville went into punditry and was a comm ...
withdrew through injury. It made him England's youngest-ever defender, breaking the record previously held by
Rio Ferdinand Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for BT Sport. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and was ...
. After the game finished in a 1–1 draw, pundit
Alan Hansen Alan David Hansen (born 13 June 1955) is a Scottish former footballer and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, for the successful Liverpool team of the late 1970s and 1980s, and for the Scotl ...
and
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
both praised Richards’ performance. He scored his first international goal in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
on 8 September 2007 at Wembley Stadium. Richards reflected on his BBC Sport column, saying that it was a great day for him and England, as well as, made it something to remember. Richards played regularly during
Steve McClaren Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English former professional footballer and coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for Premier League club Manchester United, in his second spell at the club. McClaren began his coaching caree ...
's time as England manager, making 11 appearances. However, following McClaren's sacking in November 2007, Richards fell out of favour. In
Fabio Capello Fabio Capello (; born 18 June 1946) is an Italian former professional football manager and player. As a player, Capello represented SPAL 1907, Roma, Milan and Juventus. He played as a midfielder and won several trophies during his career which ...
's four years in charge of the England team, Richards played only once, as a substitute against
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in November 2010. Upon Capello's resignation in February 2012, Richards spoke of his frustration: "To be frozen out of your international side is hard to take sometimes. Everyone wants to play for their international team, especially when you're playing in a team that's doing so well. I didn't get a chance under Capello. I don't know why. I always asked the question, but I never got an answer." Following Capello's resignation in February 2012, Richards gained an immediate recall to the England team. Caretaker coach Stuart Pearce had coached Richards at both Manchester City and for the under-21s, and selected him to play against the Netherlands. However, when new coach Roy Hodgson named his squad for
UEFA Euro 2012 The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
, Richards was omitted. Hodgson explained his decision by saying "It was going to be one of Phil Jones or Micah Richards and I chose Jones."


Great Britain Olympic football team

On 28 June 2012, Richards was confirmed as one of the three over-aged players selected by manager Stuart Pearce for
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, alongside
Craig Bellamy Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward and is current assistant manager at EFL Championship side Burnley. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy began his senior playing career with Norw ...
and
Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; 29 November 1973) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Giggs played his List of one-club men in association football, entir ...
. He said it was an honour to be called up for the squad. Richards played the full match in the tournament's opening fixture against
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
; which ended 1–1. He started all the remaining matches of the tournament, as Great Britain were eliminated by South Korea U23 on penalties.


Career statistics


Club


International

:Source: :''England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Richards goal.''


Media career

Richards works as a
Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
and
BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
pundit, appearing across radio and television including ''
Match of the Day ''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights, during the Premier League season. The show's current presenter is former England international striker Gary L ...
''. He is also part of
CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...
'
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
coverage. As a pundit, he is known for his distinctive laugh.


Personal life

Richards is of
Kittitian Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of ...
descent through his father who moved from
Basseterre Basseterre (; Saint Kitts Creole: ''Basterre'') is the capital and largest city of Saint Kitts and Nevis with an estimated population of 14,000 in 2018. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitt ...
to England in the 1960s. He later credited his father for being a big influence on his career and keeping him grounded while growing up. Along with his father, Richards also credited his former teammate Richard Dunne for being a big influence on his early career as well. His first cousin,
Atiba Harris Atiba Erasto Harris (born 9 January 1985) is a Kittitian football administrator and former professional footballer. He captained the Saint Kitts and Nevis national team. As of August 2021, he serves as President of the St. Kitts and Nevis F ...
, is also a professional footballer and long-time captain of the Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team. Richards has two brothers, both of whom played football but never became professionals. Although Richards likes Leeds United, he supported Arsenal because of
Ian Wright Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English television and radio personality and former professional footballer. He works as a pundit for BBC Sport and ITV Sport. Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal ...
, due to his great character and as Wright "made him smile with his goal celebrations". Richards said that he did alright at school and got Cs in GCSEs Maths, English and Science. In November 2006, Richards was involved in a legal battle with Team Associates, who sued him for £1 million over a breach of contract after changing his agent the previous June. For the 2007–08 season, he became a columnist for
BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
. During his playing career, Richards has been involved with Kick It Out, football's anti-racism campaign. In October 2012, he was among several footballers to not wear a Kick It Out anti-racism T-shirt, due to protest against the lack of action by the organisation in the wake of high-profile cases of footballers racially abusing their opponents during matches. Richards was a Twitter user until he quit using the social networking site in February 2012 following racial abuse. Richards made a cameo appearance in T2's music video called " Heartbroken", featuring
Jodie Aysha Jodie Aysha (born Jodie Aysha Henderson; 22 November 1988 in Leeds, England) is an English singer and songwriter. Career Aysha had success at the age of 18, when her song "Heartbroken (song), Heartbroken", which she wrote when she was 14 abo ...
. In December 2007, the ''
News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling En ...
'' published an article about Richards when he was involved in an incident in a disabled toilet. Although Sven-Goran Eriksson was upset by the incident, Richards faced no disciplinary action by the club. In February 2009, Richards was arrested for alleged assault of a man outside of a nightclub in Hale, Greater Manchester, at around 12.30am. Ultimately, prosecutors decided to press no charges and the case was dropped. In February 2022
Chris Sutton Christopher Roy Sutton (born 10 March 1973) is an English former professional football player and manager. He later became a pundit and commentator for BT Sport, regularly working on their coverage of Scottish football. He is now also a pundi ...
and Richards spoke about
mental health issues A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
in their playing days. He has a son.


Honours

Manchester City *
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
: 2011–12 *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
: 2010–11 *
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
: 2013–14 England U21 *
UEFA European Under-21 Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the comp ...
runner-up:
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
Individual *
Premier League Player of the Month The Premier League Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League player each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to 10 ...
: August 2007 *Young Sportsperson of the Year: 2007


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Micah 1988 births Living people Footballers from Birmingham, West Midlands Footballers from Leeds English footballers English association football commentators England youth international footballers England under-21 international footballers England international footballers Association football defenders Leeds United F.C. players Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players Manchester City F.C. players ACF Fiorentina players Aston Villa F.C. players Premier League players Serie A players English Football League players Olympic footballers of Great Britain Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics English expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Italy English expatriate sportspeople in Italy Black British sportspeople English sportspeople of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent FA Cup Final players Television personalities from Yorkshire