MICAH Richards says playing regular football with Manchester City - rather than being part of a rotation system at one of the top four clubs - will enhance his chances of becoming a first choice with England.
Richards is set to sign a new contract with City once his father and advisor Lincoln returns from setting up a soccer school in Ethiopia.
He has been linked with moves to Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal after making rapid strides forward during the past 12 months.
But the attraction of playing every game under Sven-Goran Eriksson at Eastlands is a big factor in Richards wanting to remain with the club.
He would have seen Shaun Wright-Phillips make his move from City to Chelsea and suffer two years of frustration as mainly a bit-part player before finally emerging from the shadows this season.
Now the two are set to link up down the right flank for England in their vital Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel at Wembley on Saturday.
Richards said: "I think it is important to play regularly at club level to help you with England. I think it is vital. If you are playing week in and week out, you are getting the best performances out of yourself.
"When you go to a big club, a top-four side, and you seem to be rested 10 games out of 20, as a youngster like me coming through I don't think that is ideal.
"I think it is better for me to be playing week-in and week-out for my England chances.
"That was an influence in my decision to stay at Manchester City.
"I always have my dad by my side for guidance and he said `I think you are better off staying where you are to go forward with your England career'."
Long-term, Richards wants to play as a central defender for England - the role he operates in primarily for City.
Confidence
But his confidence and faith in his ability is such that he is hoping to keep first-choice right-back Gary Neville out of the side when he returns to fitness.
Richards impressed at right-back in the recent friendly international against Germany and set up England's goal for Frank Lampard.
He said: "If I am playing 100%, I feel I am doing well enough to stay in there. I know Gary Neville is a legend but the way I see it is if you are playing well, you should keep your place. I don't see it as a case of myself just keeping the right-back place warm for him. I feel I've done well enough to stay in. But it is up to the manager to decide."
There is much debate over whether midfielder Steven Gerrard should be given a pain-killing injection to enable him to play against Israel with a broken toe.
But Richards says he would have no hesitation going under the needle if he was in a similar position to enable him to play for his country.
He said: "Would I have a pain-killing injection to play? Yes, for your country, you've got to, haven't you? Previous players have before.
"You would do anything to play for your country. I certainly would."
Israel are expected to adopt the defensive-minded tactics that frustrated England in the goalless draw in Tel Aviv but Richards is confident of breaking them down.
He said: "I think we should go out and play our usual football, not worry about what they are doing and do what we are good at. That should get us three points.
"We will have 85,000 home fans behind us which is key in these sort of games. We have got to go out and show them we can play attacking football like we are capable of. Then we should be all right."
Should Richards be England first-choice right-back? Have your say
Micah happy to shun big four
September 06, 2007
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Right back, Centre half with Terry or central midfield. The lad can play any of those easily
sHun the big four, not really, we would never sell to united, Liverpool would never spend 30m on a defender that they do not at present need, Arsenal similar, and then there is Chelsea, so really it is about will he stay at City or go to Chelsea. that then depends on the progress we make in the next year or two. By the time Micah reaches 21 the big four may well as i suspect change, and i predict city will be very close to them.
GARY NEVILLE * ******* presently
FA Premier League WINNER (7): 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07.
* UEFA Champions League (1): 1998-99
* FA Cup (3): 1996, 1999, 2004
* League Cup (1): 2006
85 ENGLAND CAPS... 385 app Man Utd
Micah Richards..............now ZERO
Micah Richards in 15 years............
50 ENGLAND CAPS... 385 app Man City
HONOURS ZERO
Think about it Micah,"is that what you want ,,cos thats what you'll get"!!!!!!!
Theres Mud in your eye to all the rags who think Micah would sign for them he could walk into any defence in England BUT WHY WOULD HE; HE'S BLUE THROUGH AND THROUGH ( DONT BE A BUM IGNORE THE SCUM!!)
Anyone who knows anything about football will realise that Micah is the best young player around at the moment because he has it all - except experience which he is now getting.
Those 2 young un's at Villa are also good players but Richards plays with a wise man's head. He's solid and getting better all the time. It is great for City that we keep him because otherwise we would be just another nursery for the top clubs.
In addition, I hear Brooking has been banging his gums about looking at England's youth set up. Just hope he don't come knocking at Jim Cassell's door!!!
Ronaldo you forgot Gary Nevilles greatest honour ever - having an assist to a Shaun Goater goal.
Ronaldo: A a Clairvoyant, what will win the ST Ledger week saturday?
Micah is obviously a very switched on young man who realises playing week in week out every week is more important than chasing the dollor.eg shaun wright philips{who for me has gone backwards the last 2 years and only just getting his confidance back.}Micah should concentrate on his game and look at the situation again in 2 years time and see where the grass is greener,although ronaldo i suspect this will never be with scum as the lad has loyalty unlike your namesake who will go chasing the dollar every time
Ronaldo; If only your academy could have produced the youngest ever defender to play for his country or even such talented youth players !. Your days are numbered & even Fergie knows it hence the Retirement talk is back !. Wasn't it when Chelsea fisrt came into money & started to get all the talent it first appeared ?. Running scarred !!!.
"When you go to a big club, a top-four side, and you seem to be rested 10 games out of 20, as a youngster like me coming through I don't think that is ideal.
"I think it is better for me to be playing week-in and week-out for my England chances.
"That was an influence in my decision to stay at Manchester City.
Quick someone tell him, City are MASSIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Make the most of the phrase "Big Four",in two or three years time City,Villa and Newcastle, possibly Spurs as well will make the "Big Four" phrase laughable.Liverpool,Chelsea(a plastic club if ever there was one)Man U and Arsenal all realise that the game is up and time is running out for them.
I really don't know why people keep rising to Ronaldo's bait. He comes on here(presumably because he hasn't anything to say on his own Club's website) posting content which is usually meaningless drivel, about a Club and Players of whom he has little, if any, real knowledge.
Just ignore him. His views are worthless.
If Micah ever left he wouldn't go to Utd because as there are bigger fish in Madrid and Barcelona for him. Read his bbc.co.uk column as he comes over as a cracking lad.
No wonder England won nowt in the last decade with players like:
Gary Neville
Rio Ferdinand
Wes Brown
Phil Neville
Nicky Butt
Appalling English players the lot of them. The only Englishman the Rags produced in the last decade that was any good was Scholes and he got smart and decided he would'nt play given the quality above.
Jealously will get you knowhere! Micah knows history is in the making!
Ronaldo,
Micah is about as likely to play for united as you are to go to a man united home game , NEVER !!!!!
ronaldo, i cannot work out whether you are a sad city fan and there are a few, or a wind up rag, or you simply are just so unhappy you have to put a negative spin on everything. cheer up son, and just try for once to be a little positive, go on, it wont hurt, finally in 15 years Micah will have proved he is one of englands all time greats, chuckle brother senior will then be well and truely finished as indeed his england career now is.
anyway what ever you are, city have the hottest prospect in football and he has pledged the next few years to us, lovely, once ablue always a blue, unless your name is shrek that is.
Play him UPFRONT with Owen. He would scare them to death with his power and pace.
Joe Strummers Cat......Top Shout that's why Micha's signed...Coz he's looked at SWP and thought "I'm on £BIGK and will get regular first team footie and always be in the spotlight...me thinks I'll stay...plus the bonus of the best fans in the land and all the world.
How immature ronaldo.
Go and join the kiddies in the playground.
Ronaldo. Do you honestly think Neville would be playing for Enlagnd if he was in any other team? We all know that it's not how you play but who you play for. Walcott and Richardson spring to mind already.
Micah Richards - the best young player in England, bar none.FACT.
Ronaldo you clown, just go and get yourself a life; you trulty are a sad little rag...i'm suprised you even support Utd anymore, what with their comparatively poor run of form, thought you might have jumped ship to Liverpool or Chelsea by now...
CTID
waheeey... hahaha ronaldo is back now utd are winning. Not that you are a stereotype being a red or anything like that of course hahahahahaha. Don't tell me you live in the sticks..probably mid to early twenties. Sky sports subscriber and all round "expert" on all things yernited. Bet you've got the Ryan giggs bed side lamps and everything. The fact is that Micah Richards is a blue and wants get involved in the progressive things that are going on at city. From where im its in reverse at yernited. There is much more threat of him going to Liverpool than utd to be honest...isnt it about time you started looking around car boot sales for an old Liverpool shirt so you can start saying you've always supported them...let me guess new Username soon...StevieG perhaps?
I expect Micah would rather play for a debt-free club with proper fans.
RED1
Did you come up with that highly imaginative nickname all by yourself or did your mam help you?
£600 million in debt - Keep Laughing idiot!!!!
Immature reds, just a thought if youre bored (as you must be spending all your time on our site) just a couple of ideas for things that might just be down your childish street...
1) you could practise doing underarm raspberries all afternoon
2) you could play "remove the chair from underneath someone as they´re just about to sit down"...Great laff, specially if they´re carrying a cup of hot cocoa
3) you could go play knock a door run down the old folks home
or
4) you could empty the contents of your hole punch into someone elses closed umberella...and when it rains they open it and hey presto...
See just be creative, lots of "fun" things befitting your age instead of wasting everyones time. Off you go then boys, playtime bell is ringing!!