Mills-Mcfc
Well-Known Member
MICAH RICHARDS has rocked Manchester City by revealing he may need to quit the club to get regular first-team football.
The defender is fed up with being in and out of the team and says that, at the age of 22, he cannot afford to be sitting on the bench.
Although Richards played all 90 minutes of Wednesday's 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates, it was one of only two Premier League matches the full-back has started out of the last seven.
And that has led to worries about whether he will lose his place in the England squad again.
Richards became the Three Lions' youngest defender in history when he made his debut against the Netherlands aged 18 years 143 days in November 2006.
But he had not played for his country for three years until he came on as sub against France two months ago.
And he says a conversation with England boss Fabio Capello has convinced him it is time to move on.
Richards said: "Mr Capello has told me that if I'm not playing regularly he will find it hard to pick me.
"Being back in the England set-up after so long away from it really got me buzzing again and I know I'm good enough to make that right-back position my own.
"But that won't happen if I'm not playing consistently."
Richards admits it may seem strange that he should want to get away with City standing second in the Premier League and battling it out with bitter rivals Manchester United for the title.
However, he insists the desire to play overrides all other factors.
He added: "I know people will be reading this wondering why I don't just shut up.
"City are second and they will say what the manager is doing is working and keeping us fresh but I know my ability and I want to show it.
"I'm not the sort of player who can just sit around and bank his wages.
"I've got no problem with the club or Roberto Mancini as a manager but he knows how I feel.
"I went to see the boss and told him how frustrated I was.
"He said I was part of his plans but I went three Premier League games without even getting on, started against Aston Villa, then didn't play against Blackpool.
"Sometimes I'm in, then Jerome Boateng comes in instead, or Pablo Zabaleta, or two of us play.
"It's in, out, in, out, mix and match.
"I could understand being left out when Mark Hughes was in charge because I wasn't playing that well and was going through a bad time.
"We didn't have so many good players but I wasn't at my best.
"I wasn't in the team at the end of last season under Mancini either but I worked really hard in pre- season and was determined to become an important part of the team. I feel I've been playing well. I'm confident in my ability and know when my game is in good shape, which right now it is.
"When I first got into the team as a teenager everything was going great but I hadn't really learned the game properly and I sort of crashed for a while.
"But I'm a different person now, I've learned, and I'm happy with my game again. Mancini says I've improved a lot but it's not getting me regular starts.
"I've never really been used to sitting on the bench and not playing and I hate it.
"I don't feel it's acceptable to me if I'm honest.
"We've got a ridiculous amount of players, so many in every position who are all top quality and there are plenty of good players who don't get in at all.
"We travel with 21 and three don't even get to be sub.
"You hope the club understands that they have to let people go and not leave them to rot.
"Players like Shaun Wright-Phillips have been frustrated at not playing as has Adam Johnson. Shaun was told the same thing by Mr Capello that I was, that he needs to get regular football.
"I feel more for Adam, particularly, because he could find himself in the same situation as me and Shaun. He's a young man who wants to be playing too and he has said that a few times this season.
"I love City. I've been there since I was 15 and I got capped by England while playing for this club.
"But having reached that level I want to keep myself up there.
"This is not me telling the boss, 'you must pick me for every game', I'm just telling it as I feel it.
"I want to be somewhere where I'm kicking a ball every week."
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3334795/Man-City-ace-Micah-Richards-I-want-to-play-not-just-get-pay.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... t-pay.html</a>
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