My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s peek behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. Micah Richards was part of the Manchester City squad that won their first Premier League title in 2012 and appeared 13 times for England, before retiring at just 31 after a series of knee injuries. He is now a successful pundit and podcaster.
I started out as a striker
I grew up in Leeds and everyone thought I was going to be the next Alan Shearer. When I was at school I’d score 40, 50 goals a season and I got picked up by Leeds United.
But the older I got, the faster the games got, I just couldn’t hack it there. Leeds released me. I realised there’s a big difference between being fast and making the right type of runs. So I moved back into midfield, spraying balls around like a young Patrick Vieira!
The first time I played right-back in a proper game was actually my full Premier League debut for Manchester City at 17.
It was eye-opening. I just thought, “This is a different level”. I remember Darren Bent powering a header over me and I had a decent leap. You think, “Do I deserve to be here?”.
Everyone said, “He’s good, he’s strong, he’s quick but positionally he’s a bit off”. I was winging it! I didn’t have a clue the runs to make, I was making it up as I went along but within a year I was in the England squad.
Roberto Mancini was my best manager – but it was tough love
Mancini was a genius. Tactically he was brilliant in the year we won the league and his coaching was absolutely first class. He had this knack of sussing out during the game exactly what was needed – whether that was changing formation, making a substitution, or being unafraid to see out the game.
He used to call me Swarovski, like the glass. He’d say, “You’re big, you’re strong but you’re like glass. You always break down!”. It was hard to take but I thought, “I’ll show you”.
Off the pitch he could speak to you about anything, he’s really well read and a smart guy. I went to see him when he was Italy manager and, even though I wanted England to win Euro 2020, I was so pleased he won it.
He is just so cool: his hair, his clothes, the way he speaks. Everything about him, he’s top notch. I actually love him.
Management was the plan – and then I fell in love with the camera
I had my coaching badges booked at the same time as my first punditry gig. I was keen but as soon as those camera lights came on, I fell in love with it.
The first time I did it, I froze. Dan Walker asked me what I’d been up to since retirement and I couldn’t get my words out – I just mumbled and said, “I can eat more pies”. We had to re-record it and since then I’ve never had a problem. I love doing live stuff, it’s really just a bit of me.
I’ve had a taste of coaching with the Specsavers Best Worst Team campaign, being assistant manager for Warley FC, who didn’t win a game last season. We got them a chef, James Milner’s come in to do fitness stuff with them. They’ve got 12 points now, I’m dead proud of them.
I did give them some advice on formation but really I’m just the hype man. I’ve brought some Big Meeks energy to them!
I love Roy Keane but I like ‘poking him’
Off camera he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, he’s so funny and just a joy to be around. But when the football comes on, something triggers inside of him where he just becomes very passionate.
People are seeing the other side of his personality now. I think that started with his double act with Ian Wright and I’ve just tried to follow the lead. I try to challenge him a little bit, have fun with him and sort of poke him a bit.
You can’t be late with Roy, he’s a stickler for it. We were shooting something together one day and I was warning the film crew – come on, hurry up, if we don’t get to where Roy is on time he’ll leave. We were five minutes late in the end and he wasn’t happy at all!
I’ve nearly been cancelled on CBS
What we do with CBS and the Champions League is just different. It’s a personality-led serious football show and the chemistry is just brilliant. We’re lucky in a way because it’s not shown in the UK so the clips of us that go viral are our best bits.
We take a lot of risks on that show and I always joke that we’re going to get cancelled one day. The producer Pete Radovich is a genius and doesn’t really mind if something doesn’t land, he says we’re trying new things. It’s great fun.
It’s true, Mel B used to babysit me
We’re all from Leeds, my sister knows her sister and my brother knows her sister Danielle. In the old days people used to just go around each other’s houses, you know?
My mum said years ago that Mel used to babysit me, then my sister confirmed it and I thought “Ooh!”. She’s a proper icon so I was buzzing.
I don’t remember anything about it but I’ve got two sources now saying it happened! I don’t know where it was but I can now confirm it definitely happened. The last time I spoke to Mel she wanted to do some filming with Thierry Henry and she said: “I remember when you were a baby!”.
So it is real. But I don’t have her number or anything. I couldn’t ask her for a pint.
Micah Richardswas talking to promote Specsavers’ Best Worst Team campaign, bringing grassroots football back to the forefront.
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