10 April 2023 , 10:06
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Micah Richards left Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer in hysterics after admitting he rejected a staggering £100k-per-week contract offer during his time at Manchester City.
The former right-back moved to City from Oldham in 2001 and made his way through the club's academy, before making his first-team debut at the age of 17. Richards was one of the most highly-rated full-backs in world football at the time and also became England's youngest defender in 2006, breaking Rio Ferdinand's previous record.
Having cemented himself as a mainstay in the starting XI, it looked as though Richards was going to endure a long-lasting career at the top with City. However, following the arrival of Pablo Zabaleta, Richards dropped down to second-choice under Roberto Mancini, limiting his game time.
Richards decided to leave for Aston Villa in 2015 after making 245 appearances at City, winning one Premier League title as he was not eligible for the second during the 2013/14 campaign. But the 34-year-old regrets not staying at City longer and signing a new deal - as he revealed in a podcast with Lineker and Shearer.
He told BBC Sport: "Stuart Pearce was the manager at the time. I was on 5k a week. He did try to do me one of these times. I was worth it, he offered me double the money, so 10k a week. But I was just getting into the England squad. So, I ended up on 50k a week and he tried to do me out of 40k a week.
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"The story goes on. You had to have so much English players for the quota. So, Man City offered me 100k a week on a five-and-a-half-year deal. And I said no because I was number two behind Pablo Zabaleta, so I'm not all about the money."
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards (Getty Images)When asked about whether he recovered from that decision yet, Richards said: "Why do you think I work for every f****** broadcaster? It's the worst decision I have ever f****** made!" Lineker and Shearer burst into laughter before the former shouted "idiot" at the top of his voice.
But Richards added: "I went to Aston Villa, that was less money. But then we got relegated in the first season, so my wages halved. So, I have gone from a 100k a week offer to £25k a week in the Championship."
Richards was released by Aston Villa in June 2019 at the end of his contract. A month later, he announced his retirement from professional football after struggling with a series of injuries. Now, Richards does work for Sky Sports, BBC and CBS Sports amongst others as a pundit.