Who is Micah Richards?

Micah Richards, 38, is an English former professional footballer and one of the most recognizable pundit voices in the sport today, best known for his decade at Manchester City and his career as a broadcaster on Sky Sports, BBC Sport, and CBS Sports.

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Quick facts

Born: June 24, 1988 (age 38), in Birmingham, England; grew up in Chapeltown, Leeds
Full name: Micah Lincoln Richards
Position: Right-back (also center-back)
Clubs: Manchester City (2005–2015), Fiorentina on loan (2014–2015), Aston Villa (2015–2019)
International: 13 caps for England; also represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics
Known for: Premier League and FA Cup winner; youngest defender ever called up to England; football pundit and podcast host

Their story

Micah Richards was born in Birmingham and grew up in Leeds. He came up through youth systems at Leeds United and Oldham Athletic before joining Manchester City's academy at 14. He signed his first professional contract with Manchester City in 2005 and made his first-team debut in October 2005 against Arsenal, which he later described as "the most memorable day of his life," becoming one of the youngest debuts in the club's history.

Richards became the youngest defender to be called up to the England squad in 2006. He went on to earn 13 caps for England between 2006 and 2012. He made 245 appearances over ten seasons at City, winning the Premier League and FA Cup. After a loan spell at Italian club Fiorentina, he joined Aston Villa in 2015 but struggled with knee injuries, limiting him to 31 matches before retiring in July 2019.

What they have achieved

During his time at Manchester City, Richards won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the EFL Cup. He was also part of Great Britain's squad at the 2012 Olympics. At City, he was twice nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and in one season finished with more assists than any other defender in the Premier League.

Beyond the game

Richards was forced to retire in the summer of 2019, at the age of 31, when a knee injury he had sustained at 19 finally caught up with him. He went on to work as a pundit for BBC Sport, Sky Sports and CBS, describing broadcasting as "a fantastic second career."

He earned nominations for media accolades including the Football Supporters' Association Pundit of the Year in 2021, and was a finalist in the Best Ex-Pro Footballer category at the 2023 Football Content Awards. He is also one of the hosts of the hugely popular podcast The Rest Is Football, alongside Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

His books

Richards published an autobiography, The Game: Player. Pundit., in 2024. Reviewers describe it as heartfelt, funny and thought-provoking, capturing his love for the game while revealing the person behind the pundit's grin.