500 DAYS
That’s how long since Micah Richards, 29, last played for Aston Villa... what IS going on?
Once hailed as the best young defender in the country, Micah Richards has won 13 england caps, a Premier League title and the FA cup.
He made champions League appearances for Manchester city and represented Great Britain at the London Olympics. He turned down Manchester United and chelsea and, at 29, should have plenty of years ahead of him.
But earlier this week marked an incredible 500 days since his last competitive game for Aston Villa. His £35,000-a-week contract still has a season to run after this campaign. How has it come to this?
For a player of his experience and ability, it is a peculiar situation. Injuries have been a factor but the defender has been fit and desperate to play for most of the season.
October 15, 2016, was the last time Richards played competitively. He started Steve Bruce’s first game in charge against Wolves, but went off with a calf problem in the 66th minute, and 73 Villa matches have subsequently come and gone without his involvement.
The crux at present is that Bruce does not trust Richards to cope physically with two games a week and has decided against using him at all, in order to maintain the rhythm of his team. Richards has a long- standing meniscus issue in his right knee — it has become swollen through exercise in the past — but sources close to the player insist the same was true of Tottenham and england defender Ledley King and, managed well, should not stop regular action.
Richards keeps turning up at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground and participates fully each day with the first team, but knows his name will not feature on the team sheet.
Last Saturday, as Villa players celebrated a thrilling 4-2 win at Sheffield Wednesday that reignited ambitions of automatic promotion, Richards was not in the picture, keeping up with the score away from Hillsborough.
It is a difficult space to occupy mentally, yet club insiders insist the bubbly personality we first saw when Richards excitedly swore on live TV after scoring his first senior goal aged 17 — a last-gasp equaliser for city at Villa — remains.
He has given advice and encouragement to Villa’s emerging players, such as Keinan Davis, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Andre Green, corey Blackett-Taylor and callum O’Hare.
A well-travelled source said: ‘He’s probably the nicest player I’ve worked with, the staff love him. He is very popular and always has a smile on his face.’
But Richards is more than a joker to keep spirits up. The competitive edge that saw him rise through city’s academy is intact and, while there has been no bust-up with Bruce, strong conversations have taken place.
Richards understands it is Bruce’s prerogative to pick whichever team he wants, and Villa’s position in the table is evidence of his sound judgment, but
Sportsmail can reveal that on two occasions meetings between manager and player have taken place.
One came when Richards sought answers after being left out of August’s carabao cup win over Wigan — when other fringe players were given a chance ahead of transfer deadline day. For the visit of Middlesbrough in the next round, Richards made his only matchday squad of the season. But he remained on the bench.
There was another meeting in late autumn, after Richards had featured in a number of friendlies.
Richards felt it tough to commit to such training-ground games when first-team chances appeared non- existent and Bruce, a reasonable man, agreed to call a halt to them. But there was no reprieve when Bruce made 10 changes for January’s FA cup tie against Peterborough and Richards was not among them.
Sportsmail understands there is not an economic reason for the defender’s absence. Ultimately, it just seems Villa’s manager does not rate Richards enough to work through the knee issue.
‘Micah is an absolute stick-on if he’s fit,’ said Bruce last February. ‘He’s got the right mentality.’
But opinions shift and it appears Bruce now agrees with those at city who feel Richards has lost his athletic edge through injuries.
Richards was an integral member of Roberto Mancini’s title-winning city side — playing 37 games in all competitions — and would regularly deliver recovery tackles to rouse supporters. Those who coached him wondered, though, if those moments hid small tactical deficiencies that became apparent later.
city moved on as a club but Tim Sherwood saw Richards’ value when signing him for Villa on a free transfer in the summer of 2015. confidence came from an openingday 1-0 win at Bournemouth.
A desperate relegation followed, however, and some Villa fans still associate that hurt with Richards, who was made captain following the departure of Fabian Delph.
In fairness, there were more culpable villains. To those who argue Richards should have left by now, Sportsmail can reveal that Roberto Di Matteo’s intervention blocked a move to West Ham in summer 2016. West Ham were willing to pay Richards double his relegation- slashed wage for a season on loan, with a view to a permanent transfer, but Villa’s then manager wanted him as back-up for Tommy elphick and nathan Baker. That now looks a costly call for all involved.
There was interest from Orlando city in January 2017 but two transfer windows have now passed without significant interest from a side Richards would entertain joining and it is unclear where club and player go from here.
By joining Fiorentina on loan in 2014, Richards has shown he is not afraid of making a bold move to get games, but his salary is such that it may require an agreement with Villa over his remaining deal.
Villa’s top earners, such as John Terry, are thought to take home 70 per cent more than Richards, but in a remarkable twist, his wage would almost double back to Premier League levels should Bruce’s team gain promotion. Summer talks are planned.
In the meantime, Richards will uphold his professionalism, persevere with his positive attitude and maintain a love for the game that has not cooled despite all this time spent in deep freeze.