Micah Richards Quotes

I’ll watch an MLS game if it’s on.

Mark Hughes really liked me, because he played me in a lot of games, but for some reason I just couldn’t hit the form I wanted. It was nothing personal against him or the way he did things.

I’m very into my cars. I always ready the Top Gear magazines just to see what cars are out next and what sort of performance they give. It can range from the smallest cars to the biggest ones.

I’ve always said given a chance, with me being 100 per cent and none of the niggling injuries I always seem to pick up now and then, that I can compete with anyone in the league who is challenging in my position.

Luckily, I’m not one of these players who get nervous.

When I first came in Stuart Pearce was great for me, gave me my debut at 17. Back then I wasn’t really playing for much and you could just go out there and enjoy it.

I know it didn’t always go so well under Mark Hughes but it wasn’t as if he didn’t give me a chance or anything. He really did.

If you see me when I first burst onto the scene, you see how quickly I could turn for a big lad and how fast I was up and down the pitch. Then I started picking and choosing my time to go forwards because I was scared of my hamstring going or my knee not dealing with it.

A lot of the older pros – I won’t name names – they need the money and are bitter about the money in modern football.

From 17 to 19 or 20 I was just getting praise. Then when things aren’t going so well you’re getting most of the stick and it’s hard at such a young age. That’s when your confidence goes.

I loved the banter with the fans and the thought I was giving something back to the people who support me. But then you get people telling me to go and play for Africa. What do they mean by that? It’s so narrow-minded and it’s hard to take.

I’ve not always played well for City, but I’d never been the scapegoat, coming off at half-time when in my head I thought I was having a decent game. It was weird, unnatural, it had never happened to me before and it felt like no matter what I did it wasn’t good enough any more.

I wasn’t a natural defender. I was a striker as a kid. I have learned a lot but there is more to learn, of course.

The magic of the cup is winning it, or causing an upset as far as I am concerned – but it is not so enjoyable for anyone when you are on the receiving end.

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.

Off the pitch, everyone says I and Mario Balotelli look alike, but I don’t think so. A fan was waiting for a long time after a game for me. When I came out it turned out he was waiting as he thought I was Mario. He was pretty disappointed!

I am a very positive person, but you don’t get taught how to deal with the end of your career. Never.

I appreciate what I have and, when people called me flash in the past, it hurt. I read an article not long ago saying I had given up all the bling and was concentrating on my football. Forget the football articles, that was one of the most satisfying things I have ever read about myself.

If I had stayed at City I think I would have been someone who simply filled in when I was required. I’d rather go elsewhere and play regularly. Be a bigger part of a smaller team.

But when you are an injured footballer, especially when you are out for as long as I was, you find out all about the dark side of the game.

Do I like most footballers? Not really. Joe Hart, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott, Gabby Agbonlahor and a group of the guys at Villa – good people.

You couldn’t get away with anything at City because there were always photographers everywhere.

When you are a successful footballer, you get put on a pedestal. You are the person your friends and family look up to, and they do not know how to approach you when things are going wrong, even when you just need someone to reach out to you and ask you if you are all right.

I know a lot of players would just take the money at City. But I’d rather take a pay cut and play every week.

When I was younger, I always thought, ‘I can do anything’ but I felt myself turning slower, picking up hamstring injuries. It went from bad to worse.

Well certain managers will see you make mistakes and they’ll tell you about it and then they’ve told you once and if you do it again, then it’s up to you.

On social media, you have a mask on where you are smiling, but you’re crying inside. And that was me.

Sunderland, West Ham and Orlando City wanted me but Villa wouldn’t sell me, saying I was too vital in the dressing room.

I work for the BBC now. I do it because I genuinely love football.

There were times while I was injured at Villa when I felt like I was a ghost.

It was weird at Fiorentina, because I wouldn’t sign a contract and commit, so they played somebody else. But I definitely think it was still a good move and living in Florence was probably one of the best times of my life.

I like Carlos Tevez. He’s probably the best striker I’ve played with.

I knew my knee was getting worse at Villa. The first season was dreadful and we went down. But speak to the Villa fans – take away the last three years – they were saying at the start that I should be playing for England.