Micah Richards
Encyclopedia
Micah Lincoln Richards is an English
footballer who plays for Manchester City
and the England national team. A versatile defender
, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield. On making his full England
debut in November 2006, he was the youngest defender ever to be called up to the England squad.
, Richards was born in Birmingham
as his parents were visiting relatives in the area at the time. Richards grew up in the Chapeltown
district of Leeds
, where he attended Archbishop Cranmer CofE Primary School and later Wetherby High School
, where he became bestest buddies with Matthew Miller and are still good friends to this date. Due to commitments to Manchester City Youth team he did not play for School past the age of 14. His potential was spotted by football coach David Moore.
Richards played for the Leeds United
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. He later played for the Oldham Athletic
youth system, moving to Manchester City
as a 14-year old, with Oldham reputedly having a 20% sell on clause. In July 2001 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 actually running a Brazilian Soccer School in Chapeltown, Leeds.
, coming on as a substitute and was given his full debut on 12 February 2006 against Charlton Athletic
. Since making his first start he has played in the majority of Manchester City's matches, and was named as the club's Young Player of the Year for the 2005–06 season.
Richards came to national prominence when his 94th minute headed goal from a Joey Barton
corner in a televised FA Cup
fixture against Aston Villa
at Villa Park
subsequently gained City a replay. Following the game, an emotional 17-year-old Richards was interviewed by Garth Crooks
live on BBC One
. During the interview, he was asked about his goal and used the phrase "fucking hell", and then continued with the interview.
During the 2005–06 season, Richards captained the Manchester City youth team which reached the final of the FA Youth Cup
. Richards missed the first leg of the final as he was on first team duty, but returned for the second leg. He helped his side to a 2–0 win over Liverpool
, but Liverpool youth won the trophy 3–2 on aggregate.
In July 2006, Manchester City rejected a bid of £5 million for Richards from Tottenham Hotspur
. On 25 July 2006 he signed a new four-year contract, quashing rumours of a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium
. 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 was rewarded with the number 2 shirt for the 2006–07 season, a traditional first team number, rather than the number 45 he wore previously.
Richards lost his temper with manager Stuart Pearce
in front of Sky TV
cameras after he was substituted during the Blues' 1–0 defeat at the Madejski Stadium
against Reading
on 11 September 2006. The teenage defender had to be calmed down by Paul Dickov
after hurling his shirt out of the dug-out and following it up with a volley of abuse.
Richards' second City goal was also an injury time equalizer, this time in a 1–1 draw with Everton
at Goodison Park
on 30 September 2006. He started the 2007–08 season playing at centre-back. He put in a man of the match performance against Manchester United
on the 19 August 2007. This prompted extremely high praise not only from the English media, but more importantly from his boss, former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
. He was named Premier League Player of the Month
for August.
He captained the team for the first time on 16 September 2007 against Aston Villa in the absence of teammate Richard Dunne
, making Richards the youngest ever City first team captain, beating the 21-year-old Steve Redmond
. In February 2008, he signed an improved contract to last until June 2013. At the end of February, he damaged cartilage in his right knee, putting him out for the rest of the season.
On 17 July 2008, 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. On 24 August 2008, he was knocked unconscious
after a clash of heads with teammate Tal Ben Haim
. The match was stopped for eight minutes while he received treatment on the pitch. He was later given the all clear after a scan and he left hospital on the same day as the incident. He returned for the second-round UEFA Qualifying clash against FC Midtjylland
on 28 August 2008, playing in a new holding midfield role.
On 22 March 2009, Richards netted his first of the 2008–09
season with a header in a man of the match performance giving a 1–0 victory over Sunderland
at the City of Manchester Stadium
. On 11 July 2009 Eurosport
reported he had been diagnosed with swine flu while on holiday in Cyprus
. He was kept in isolation after his trip to Ayia Napa
, but has now made a full recovery. In the 09–10 season, Micah Richards had two disallowed goals against Portsmouth
and Fulham
respectively. In Manchester City's 4–2 win over Arsenal
, Micah Richards headed in a goal from a Craig Bellamy
free-kick. The ball hit the post, then went in off Gunners goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
and into the net. The goal was initially given as an own goal, however the goal was later given to Richards. He then found the net once again with Manchester City's 3–3 draw with Bolton Wanderers. In the 4–1 Victory over Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium
, Richards stormed past 5 Rovers players before laying to striker Benjani, who hit the post, only for Richards to follow up and score. On 11 September 2010, he started at right-back in the Barclays Premier League against Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium
and completed the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw. Richards made a star-studded performance in the F.A. cup against Notts County, he set up their only goal in a 1-1 draw were he crossed the ball across the 6 yard box for Edin Dzeko
to blast it into the net.
On 20 February 2011, Richards scored an impressive volley in a 5-0 thrashing against Notts County
, which carried city to the last 16 of The FA Cup. Also on the 13 March 2011 he got Manchester City a place in the semi-finals of the FA cup, scoring a 74th minute header against Reading
at the City of Manchester Stadium
in the quarter-finals to bring the tight game to 1-0, which was also the final result. At the end of the 2010-11 season, Richards made a total of 31 appearances and scored 3 goals in all competitions for City, including playing in 18 Barclays Premier League games, scoring 1 goal. On Saturday 27 August 2011, he signed a new four-year deal with Manchester City running until summer 2015. A day later, City beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at White Hart Lane
in a Barclays Premier League fixture, in which Richards played for thirty minutes after coming on as a substitute.
squad for a friendly
against the Netherlands
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 game on 15 November 2006 against the Netherlands after regular right back Gary Neville
withdrew through injury. It made him England's youngest-ever defender, breaking the record previously held by Rio Ferdinand
. He scored his first international goal in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel
on 8 September 2007 at Wembley Stadium
.
Richards was called-up for the UEFA Under-21 Championship
held in Sweden
, where he scored a header against Finland
as England went through the group stages undefeated. He took over from Steven Taylor
who was now overaged for the U21's.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who plays for Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and the England national team. A versatile defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield. On making his full England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
debut in November 2006, he was the youngest defender ever to be called up to the England squad.
Early career
Though his parents lived in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Richards was born in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
as his parents were visiting relatives in the area at the time. Richards grew up in the Chapeltown
Chapeltown, West Yorkshire
Chapeltown is a suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British African-Caribbean community. It is approximately one mile north of Leeds city centre...
district of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, where he attended Archbishop Cranmer CofE Primary School and later Wetherby High School
Wetherby High School
Wetherby High School is a secondary school in the Hallfield area of Wetherby, West Yorkshire. It is run by the City of Leeds Local Education Authority. The school is situated on Hallfield Lane, on the Hallfields Estate in Wetherby...
, where he became bestest buddies with Matthew Miller and are still good friends to this date. Due to commitments to Manchester City Youth team he did not play for School past the age of 14. His potential was spotted by football coach David Moore.
Richards played for the Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
youth system
Youth system
Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams...
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. He later played for the Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
youth system, moving to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
as a 14-year old, with Oldham reputedly having a 20% sell on clause. In July 2001 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 actually running a Brazilian Soccer School in Chapeltown, Leeds.
Manchester City
He made his first team debut on 22 October 2005 against ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, coming on as a substitute and was given his full debut on 12 February 2006 against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. Since making his first start he has played in the majority of Manchester City's matches, and was named as the club's Young Player of the Year for the 2005–06 season.
Richards came to national prominence when his 94th minute headed goal from a Joey Barton
Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony "Joey" Barton is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League side Queens Park Rangers as either a central midfielder or a winger....
corner in a televised FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fixture against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
subsequently gained City a replay. Following the game, an emotional 17-year-old Richards was interviewed by Garth Crooks
Garth Crooks
Garth Anthony Crooks OBE is a retired English football player of Jamaican ancestry. He played principally for Stoke City and Tottenham, with whom he was a prolific goal scorer and an FA Cup winner at Wembley in 1981...
live on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. During the interview, he was asked about his goal and used the phrase "fucking hell", and then continued with the interview.
During the 2005–06 season, Richards captained the Manchester City youth team which reached the final of the FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
. Richards missed the first leg of the final as he was on first team duty, but returned for the second leg. He helped his side to a 2–0 win over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, but Liverpool youth won the trophy 3–2 on aggregate.
In July 2006, Manchester City rejected a bid of £5 million for Richards from Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. On 25 July 2006 he signed a new four-year contract, quashing rumours of a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. Throughout 2007, Richards was linked with a move away from City, Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
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 was rewarded with the number 2 shirt for the 2006–07 season, a traditional first team number, rather than the number 45 he wore previously.
Richards lost his temper with manager Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
in front of Sky TV
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
cameras after he was substituted during the Blues' 1–0 defeat at the Madejski Stadium
Madejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...
against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on 11 September 2006. The teenage defender had to be calmed down by Paul Dickov
Paul Dickov
Paul Dickov is a retired Scottish footballer, turned manager who is currently in charge of League One side Oldham Athletic...
after hurling his shirt out of the dug-out and following it up with a volley of abuse.
Richards' second City goal was also an injury time equalizer, this time in a 1–1 draw with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
on 30 September 2006. He started the 2007–08 season playing at centre-back. He put in a man of the match performance against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on the 19 August 2007. This prompted extremely high praise not only from the English media, but more importantly from his boss, former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
. He was named Premier League Player of the Month
Premier League Player of the Month
The Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
for August.
He captained the team for the first time on 16 September 2007 against Aston Villa in the absence of teammate Richard Dunne
Richard Dunne
Richard Patrick Dunne is an Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he was a member of the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012.Dunne began his professional career at Everton...
, making Richards the youngest ever City first team captain, beating the 21-year-old Steve Redmond
Steve Redmond
Stephen 'Steve' Redmond is a former English footballer, who played as a central defender.Redmond was captain of the Manchester City youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1986...
. In February 2008, he signed an improved contract to last until June 2013. At the end of February, he damaged cartilage in his right knee, putting him out for the rest of the season.
On 17 July 2008, Richards played his first full match back from injury in the 2–0 win against EB/Streymur
EB/Streymur
EB/Streymur is an Faroese football club based in Streymnes. They play in the Vodafonedeildin, the top division in Faroese football.-History:...
in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. On 24 August 2008, he was knocked unconscious
Unconsciousness
Unconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
after a clash of heads with teammate Tal Ben Haim
Tal Ben Haim
Tal Ben Haim is an Israeli professional footballer who currently plays for Portsmouth.He can play at either centre back or right back. He is also a member of the Israeli national squad...
. The match was stopped for eight minutes while he received treatment on the pitch. He was later given the all clear after a scan and he left hospital on the same day as the incident. He returned for the second-round UEFA Qualifying clash against FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning and Ikast. The team is a result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad...
on 28 August 2008, playing in a new holding midfield role.
On 22 March 2009, Richards netted his first of the 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
season with a header in a man of the match performance giving a 1–0 victory over Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. On 11 July 2009 Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
reported he had been diagnosed with swine flu while on holiday in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. He was kept in isolation after his trip to Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa is a resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus, famous for its sandy beaches. In recent years, apart from being a family holiday destination, it has become a 'party capital' together with Ibiza, Rimini and Mykonos...
, but has now made a full recovery. In the 09–10 season, Micah Richards had two disallowed goals against Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
respectively. In Manchester City's 4–2 win over Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Micah Richards headed in a goal from a Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
free-kick. The ball hit the post, then went in off Gunners goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia Rivero is a professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal.-Early career:Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Almunia started his senior career with Osasuna's reserve team in 1997, playing two seasons with the team in Segunda División B...
and into the net. The goal was initially given as an own goal, however the goal was later given to Richards. He then found the net once again with Manchester City's 3–3 draw with Bolton Wanderers. In the 4–1 Victory over Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
, Richards stormed past 5 Rovers players before laying to striker Benjani, who hit the post, only for Richards to follow up and score. On 11 September 2010, he started at right-back in the Barclays Premier League against Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
and completed the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw. Richards made a star-studded performance in the F.A. cup against Notts County, he set up their only goal in a 1-1 draw were he crossed the ball across the 6 yard box for Edin Dzeko
Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko is a Bosnian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Bosnian national team. He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010...
to blast it into the net.
On 20 February 2011, Richards scored an impressive volley in a 5-0 thrashing against Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, which carried city to the last 16 of The FA Cup. Also on the 13 March 2011 he got Manchester City a place in the semi-finals of the FA cup, scoring a 74th minute header against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
in the quarter-finals to bring the tight game to 1-0, which was also the final result. At the end of the 2010-11 season, Richards made a total of 31 appearances and scored 3 goals in all competitions for City, including playing in 18 Barclays Premier League games, scoring 1 goal. On Saturday 27 August 2011, he signed a new four-year deal with Manchester City running until summer 2015. A day later, City beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
in a Barclays Premier League fixture, in which Richards played for thirty minutes after coming on as a substitute.
International career
In November 2006, Richards received a call-up to the EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
squad for a friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
after playing only 28 professional club matches. He had previously won three caps for the England under-21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
team, and was chosen to start the game on 15 November 2006 against the Netherlands after regular right back Gary Neville
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
withdrew through injury. It made him England's youngest-ever defender, breaking the record previously held by Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
. He scored his first international goal in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
on 8 September 2007 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
Richards was called-up for the UEFA Under-21 Championship
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
held in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where he scored a header against Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
as England went through the group stages undefeated. He took over from Steven Taylor
Steven Taylor (footballer)
Steven Vincent Taylor is an English footballer, currently playing for Premier League club Newcastle United. He is a versatile central defender who can play at right back or, on rare occasions, at left back...
who was now overaged for the U21's.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 September 2007 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England |
2 – 0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
Club statistics
As of 29 October 2011.| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Manchester City | 2005–06 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006–07 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |34 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 2008–09 in English football The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while... |
34 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 in English football The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League... |
23 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2011–12 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 5 | |
| Career total | 149 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 189 | 8 | 10 | |
External links
- Micah Richards official website
- Micah Richards profile at the Manchester City website