The footballer turned pundit who won viewers’ hearts at the Euros on racism, singing Usher on screen and the real Roy Keane
Birmingham-born, Leeds-raised Micah Richards, 33, signed for Manchester City aged 14, made his first-team debut at 17 and captained the side at 19. He won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and was the youngest defender ever called up to the England squad, going on to earn 13 international caps. He also played for Aston Villa and Fiorentina. After early retirement at the age of 31 due to knee injuries, he became a football pundit. He covered this summer’s Euros for the BBC, where his warm exuberance in the studio and on social media made Richards the standout pundit.
Did the Euros make 2021 a vintage year for you?
Definitely. It was my first international tournament as a pundit. You get sent this big booklet to swot up on all the teams. I thought: “Right, I’ve been with the BBC a while, I’m on Match of the Day, I’m one of the big boys now.” But for my first few matches, I got teams such as Russia and Slovakia. It’s a privilege to work on the Euros but I don’t watch Russian football. I don’t know these players. There’s a Swiss striker called Breel Embolo and I must’ve said his name wrong every single time! But I don’t go on TV thinking I know it all. I represent the fans on screen. You can’t laugh and joke all the time, but football is supposed to be fun. I loved every minute.
