Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
pundit and former professional player who played as a
right-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
.
Richards began his senior career with
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
and made 245 appearances across all competitions in ten seasons, winning a
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
title and an
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
. After a season on loan at
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
in Italy's
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, he joined
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
in 2015. Richards 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.
On making his full
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
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 north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
squad for the
2012 Olympic football tournament.
Club career
Early career

Although Richards was born in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
,
[ he grew up in Chapeltown, ]Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
. 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, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
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-back or right-back positions.
He later played for the Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...
youth system, moving to Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
as a 14-year-old, with Oldham reputedly having a 20 per cent sell-on clause. In July 2006, 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 City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
's first team for the Premier League Asia Trophy. 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 in the 85th minute of a 1–0 defeat at Highbury
Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington.
Highbury Manor
Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor hou ...
. 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 a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
. Eleven days later he made his first start, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–2 win over Charlton Athletic. 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 (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
in the fifth round of the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
. 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 appearances 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 simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
. On 25 July 2006, he signed a new four-year contract, quashing rumours of a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium, currently known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, and commonly shortened as The Etihad, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., Manchester City, with a domestic football capacity of 53, ...
. 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 symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
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 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 and Danny Mills over the right-back position. However, Richards suffered a calf injury and had to be substituted during a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
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 ...
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 Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
, 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 Social group, 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 ...
, Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
. His performance was praised by Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson (; 5 February 1948 – 26 August 2024) was a Swedish association football, football player and Coach (sport), manager.
After a playing career as a right-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management ...
. 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 professional footballer and current television pundit for TNT Sports, who played as a centre-back. He made 431 Premier League appearances, including 253 for Manchester City.
Du ...
, making him City's youngest ever first-team captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
, 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 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 city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
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 didn’t play 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 in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
on 17 July 2008. However, during a 3–0 win over West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
on 24 August 2008, he collided with team-mate Tal Ben Haim 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. Richards continued to hold onto the right-back position despite competition from Nedum Onuoha and Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod (; born 16 January 1985) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a right back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player ...
. 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 status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
at the City of Manchester Stadium. However, both Richards and Manager Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of club Carlisle United F.C., Carlisle United.
During his playing career he usually operated as a Forward (asso ...
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 association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
, he set up Felipe Caicedo 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 while on holiday in Cyprus, and was kept in isolation after returning from Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa ( , ), officially Romanization, romanised Agia Napa, is a Tourism in Cyprus, tourist resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus.
Etymology
The name Ayia Napa is derived from a Venetian Cyprus, Venetian-era monaster ...
. 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 scored and set up 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 level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
. 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 place. 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 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 and captains both Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He is the all-time top goalscorer and most capped ...
, 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'', a 1972 Soviet drama
...
of the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
, which saw them earn a replay at the City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium, currently known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, and commonly shortened as The Etihad, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., Manchester City, with a domestic football capacity of 53, ...
. 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, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
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 (; ''Birth name, né'' Barwuah; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for club Genoa CFC, Genoa.
Balotelli started his ...
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
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...
, 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 11, 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 Social group, 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 ...
, 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
Joleon Patrick Lescott (born 16 August 1982) is an English former professional association football, footballer, coach and sports pundit. He currently works as an interim coach with the England national football team, England senior team and pla ...
. 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 and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
. 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 is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
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 a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, they have p ...
. 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 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 events in the world, with an official attendance of 89,472 ...
. 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 Luis Pellegrini Ripamonti (; ; born 16 September 1953) is a Chilean professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who is the head coach of Real Betis. As a coach, he has managed clubs in S ...
. 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
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA ...
.
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 20 ...
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 Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
on a season-long loan. The loan fee was £3.5m rising to £4.7m should the transfer be 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 7,115 as of 2020, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guin ...
, 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 (; ) is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology), Clymene and who is primarily known from the tales of the Caly ...
. On 28 September 2014, Richards made his first Serie A start for Fiorentina against Torino
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) 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. The city is main ...
. 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 association football, football manager and former striker (association football), striker. He is the current head coach of the Turkey national football team.
Montella's nickname during his p ...
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 (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
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 compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
. 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 non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
. However, Richards suffered a knee injury that saw him miss four matches. His absence was commented on by pundit Stan Collymore 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 is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
. After the match, he took to his Twitter account and criticised pundit Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English media personality and former professional footballer.
Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal as a forward, spending six years with the former and seven year ...
'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 a professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 188 ...
in the third round of the FA Cup. After the match, Richards was praised by Manager Remi Garde 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, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
, 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''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
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 Association football, player who was a centre-back in a twenty-year playing career. He is currently the head coa ...
'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 was 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 the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team ...
debut, playing 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 racially abused both Richards and Anton Ferdinand
Anton Julian Ferdinand (born 18 February 1985) is an English former association football, footballer who most recently played for St Mirren F.C., St Mirren as a centre back. He was a product of the West Ham United F.C. Reserves and Academy, West ...
, leading Hunt to be banned for two matches. This led the German Football Association
The German Football Association ( ; DFB ) is the governing body of Association football, football, futsal, and beach soccer in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB has jurisdiction for the German football league system and ...
to successfully overturn 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
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2007 UEFA Europ ...
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 Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
squad for a friendly against the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
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, former coach and player, and co-owner of English Football League club Salford City. As a player, Neville was a right-back and spent his entire career with Manches ...
withdrew through injury. It made him England's youngest-ever defender, breaking the record previously held by Rio Ferdinand. After the game finished in a 1–1 draw, pundits Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen MBE (born 13 June 1955) is a Scottish former footballer and BBC television football pundit. Regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time and one of Liverpool's best ever centre-backs, he enjoyed a highly decorated ...
and Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer (born 13 August 1970) is an English Association football, football pundit and former professional player who played as a striker (association football), striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of t ...
both praised Richards' performance.
He scored his first international goal in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
on 8 September 2007 at Wembley Stadium. Richards reflected on his BBC Sport column, saying that it was a great day for him. Richards played regularly during Steve McClaren
Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Jamaica national team.
McClaren began his coaching career with Oxford United, before joining Derby County in 1995. In 1999 ...
'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 association football, football manager (association football), manager and player.
As a player, Capello represented SPAL, AS Roma, Roma, AC Milan and Juventus FC, Juventus. H ...
'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 located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
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 UEFA European Championship, European Championship for List of men's national association football teams#UEFA (Europe), men's ...
, 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 north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
at the 2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were 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 football coach and former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He is the current Football coach (association football), head ...
and Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; born 29 November 1973) is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the best wingers in the history of footba ...
. 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, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
; which ended 1–1. He started all the remaining matches of the tournament, as Great Britain were eliminated by South Korea U23 on penalties.
Other activities
Media career
After his retirement, Richards began working as a pundit for Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
and BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC BBC Television, television, BBC Radio, radio and BBC Online, online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadc ...
, appearing across radio and television, including ''Match of the Day
''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a Association football, football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights during the Premier League season.
''Match of the Day'' is one of the BBC's longest-runn ...
'' and hosting the podcast ''The Rest is Football.''He also became a part of CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...
's UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
coverage, notably featuring with Kate Scott, Jamie Carragher, and Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (; born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster and former player. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and widely regarded as the greatest player in Premi ...
in a show that achieved widespread critical acclaim.
Baller League UK
In November 2024, it was announced that Richards was set to manage one of the 12 teams in the upcoming Baller League UK, a six-a-side football league. He ended up managing the team Deportrio, along with Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer (born 13 August 1970) is an English Association football, football pundit and former professional player who played as a striker (association football), striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of t ...
and Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...
.
Personal life
Richards is of Kittitian
Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially the Federation of Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, is an island country consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Less ...
descent through his father who moved from Basseterre
Basseterre (; Saint Kitts Creole: ''Basterre'') is the Capital (political), 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-wester ...
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 Saint Kitts and Nevis, Kittitian association football, football administrator and former professional footballer. He captained the Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team, Saint Kitts and Nevi ...
, is also a former 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 media personality and former professional footballer.
Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal as a forward, spending six years with the former and seven year ...
, 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 BBC Television, television, BBC Radio, radio and BBC Online, online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadc ...
.
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.
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 ...
'' 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, Richards and Chris Sutton spoke about mental health issues in their playing careers.
He has a son.
Career statistics
Club
International
:Source:
:''England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Richards goal.''[
]
Honours
Manchester City
*Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
: 2011–12
*FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 2010–11[
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
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
Individual
* Premier League Player of the Month: August 2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
[
*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 men's footballers
English association football commentators
England men's youth international footballers
England men's under-21 international footballers
England men's international footballers
Men's 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 for Great Britain
Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
English expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
English expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Black British sportsmen
21st-century Black British people
English people of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent
Sportspeople of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent
Television personalities from Yorkshire
BBC sports presenters and reporters
21st-century English sportsmen