Micah Richards reveals incredible details of contracts at Man City – and his ‘WORST decision’ ever

Micah Richards has revealed the ‘worst decision of his life’ was turning down an enormous salary offer from Manchester City – only to go on and make just a quarter of the weekly wage at Aston Villa in the Championship two years later. 

His revelation was mocked by a shell-shocked Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, after the Sportsmail columnist made the admission on their podcast, Match of the Day: Top 10. 

The pundit – who played for City for ten years after rising through the ranks at their academy – flung his notes to the ground in an act of mock rage as his co-hosts laughed and poked fun at his foolishness. 

As Lineker noted, his salary at Aston Villa was ‘still a living’, but Richards rued his missed chance regardless. 

‘You had to have so much English players for the quota,’ Richards begun. ‘So Man City offered by 100 grand a week, five-and-a-half year deal.

The broadcaster revealed his regrets over the decision on his Match of the Day podcast

‘And I said no,’ he added after a pause. 

Lineker then rose to his feet in disbelief as Richards continued: ‘I said no because –’

‘You did what?’ Lineker interrupted him. 

‘Yeah exactly. Because I was number two behind [Pablo] Zabaleta. So I’m not all about the money.’

Richards’ refusal of City’s contract was reported in March of 2014, after an inconsistent season that saw him increasingly sidelined by then-manager Manuel Pellegrini. 

At the end of that season, Richards accepted a season-long loan move to Fiorentina, before returning to the Premier League to sign with Aston Villa in 2015. 

The defender believed he was too often playing the understudy to Pablo Zabaleta

But within two years, Richards was playing in the Championship with a relegated Villa side

After being asked by Lineker if he had recovered from the decision, Richards answered cheekily: Why do you think I work for every f****** broadcaster?

‘The worst decision I ever f****** made!’ Richards finished, to howls of laughter from his co-hosts. 

Lineker remonstrated Richards as an ‘idiot’ as the 2012 Premier League winner went on: ‘I went to Aston Villa, that was less money. 

‘But then we got relegated in the first season, so my wages halved. So I’ve gone from a 100 grand-a-week offer to like 25 grand in the Championship.’

Noting that the salary was still generous, Lineker added: ‘No wonder you can’t stand Pablo Zabaleta’. 

Richards wound up his playing career at Villa without returning to Premier League football, and has gone on to work broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky Sports. 

Earlier in the  conversation, the 34-year-old has also revealed that former manager Stuart Pearce had tried to ‘do him out’ of £40,000 a week when signing his second professional contract at City in 2006. 

‘I was on five grand a week,’ Richards began. 

‘[Pearce] did try to do me one of these times. 

‘He offered me double the money, so 10 grand a week. But I just got into the England [squad].

The Sportsmail columnist poked fun at his need to make back the missing salary as a pundit

Lineker and Alan Shearer were alternately in stitches and mock fury as they heard the story

Richards also reveled that ex-manager Stuart Pearce had tried to ‘do him out’ of a higher wage

‘So I ended up on 50 grand a week. He tried to do me out of 40 grand a week!’

‘Game’s gone,’ Lineker remarked dryly. 

On his most recent punditry outing, Richards described Sunday’s 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal one of the best games he has ever seen. 

Speaking on Sky Sports, Richards said: ‘I’m just coming down now. It’s one of the best games I’ve ever seen. I’m not exaggerating.’