It began with giddy promise when he made his international debut as England’s youngest-ever defender at 18 but, as Richards insists now, “I would sacrifice everything for football. Keane seemed assured as he gave his thoughts on the game, even joking with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice over how his strike should have been deemed an own goal.

Arsenal v Man Utd: Police investigating after Roy Keane - BBC

Following a 6–0 loss against Chelsea on 27 October 2007, Richards acknowledged his mistakes for conceding "a couple of goals" on his columns. By the time he departed the club, Richards was described by local newspaper Manchester Evening News as "a true survivor" since the takeover in 2008.Richards came through the youth ranks at Manchester City and helped them to victory in the FA Cup in 2010-11 and their first Premier League title the season after.

The Game by Micah Richards | Waterstones The Game by Micah Richards | Waterstones

Everyone wants to play for their international team, especially when you're playing in a team that's doing so well. This was followed up by making his 200th appearance for Manchester City, in a 3–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 October 2011. Swapped north London for west London, winning three Premier League titles on the way along with a truly remarkable seven FA Cups. However, during a 3–0 win over West Ham United on 24 August 2008, he collided with team-mate Tal Ben Haim after a clash of heads, resulting in him being substituted and taken to hospital with a concussion.They were making their way towards pitchside to give their post-match thoughts as part of Sky's coverage as the Premier League clash reached its final stages. Equally adept at playing at right or left-back and possessing the ability to play with both feet, consistent Irwin played 296 Premier League games for United, winning seven league titles, scoring 18 goals and providing 23 assists. I know it was a big decision to change the captaincy with Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material. Despite this, he continued to have his first-team opportunities limited for the remaining matches of the season. The trio were discussing the Arsenal game against Brentford when Alex jokingly scolded Micah for trying to gauge her view, to which he quipped she wasn't allowed an opinion anymore.

The Game: Player. Pundit. Fan. by Micah Richards | Goodreads The Game: Player. Pundit. Fan. by Micah Richards | Goodreads

He later responded to the transfer speculation that he reaffirmed his commitment to stay at Manchester City. From memorable highlights of playing for England against Holland in November 2006 (facing up against the mercurial Arjen Robben) to stories of training ground clashes between Roberto Mancini and Samir Nasri, this book is one that I very much enjoyed reading. Since the start of the 2007–08 season, Richards regained his first-team place, playing in the right-back position.

But this was a charming read, that lifts the lid on the footballer lifestyle and tries to tell you what it's really like - warts and all. However, Richards suffered a knee injury during a 1–0 win over Swansea City and was sidelined for four months.