Micah Richards
Player name in full: Micah Lincoln Richards
To/from dates: 2005-2014
Number of appearances: 228
Goals scored: 10
Biography:
Born on 24th June 1988 in Birmingham, Micah Richards began his football career at Leeds United, where he played in the Academy from 1996 to 2000. He then moved to Oldham Athletic for one year and in 2001 made the move to Manchester City’s Academy.
Signing his first professional contract with Manchester City in 2005, he made his first-team debut in October 2005 against Arsenal – “the most memorable day of his life”, he later remarked and became one of the youngest debuts in the club’s history.
During the 2007-08 season, in the absence of Richard Dunne, Richards captained the side, becoming the youngest ever City first team captain, an achievement marred only by a knee injury that meant he was unable to play for the rest of the season.
In 2010 Richards helped the team to an impressive 5th place in the league, which saw them gain a place in the Europa League and the semi-finals of the League Cup.
The long wait for silverware ended in 2011 with the FA Cup, and at the end of the 2012 season with the Premier League. Richards reflected that he was part of a side that “kickstarted this new era, and the club has never looked back”.
The 2012-13 season saw both an ankle injury and a knee injury sideline Richards for a large part of the season, only making eight appearances.
Fighting back to fitness under new manager Manuel Pellegrini, the 2013-14 season was marked by further injury and despite the team winning the Premier League, Richards had only made two league appearances.
In 2014, Richards signed for a Fiorentina for a season-long loan. Choosing not to stay at Fiorentina, he was released by Manchester City.
Notable facts/stories:
His first goal for City was against Aston Villa in February 2006, a display praised by manager Stuart Pearce, but perhaps best remembered for Richards swearing live on BBC One on a Sunday afternoon, something that he reflected had severely embarrassed his mother and endeared him to a legion of fans!
Non-City career (briefly):
Richards became the youngest defender to be called up to the England squad in 2006.
After leaving City, Richards signed for Aston Villa staying with the club after relegation following the 2015/16 season until a knee injury limited his appearances. He finally left Aston Villa at the close of the 2018/19 season.
Richards retired from football in 2019 and now works with Manchester City as a club representative. He is passionate about the work of Cityzens Giving around the world.
Micah also regularly appears as a pundit across the BBC, BT Sport and Sky networks.
Links to City website stories:
https://www.mancity.com/news/club-news/club-news/2019/july/man-city-micah-richards-retires
