Compared to his teammates Henry and Carragher – who were indispensable at their respective clubs (Henry at Arsenal, Carragher at Liverpool) – Richards’ career pales in comparison. In 2006, he made the leap from Man City’s youth team to the first team. However, the Manchester City of that era had little in common with today’s version of Man City, apart from the sky-blue club colours. At that time, the Citizens were still, at best, an average side, usually found in the lower half of the Premier League table.
It was not until 2009 that the picture changed with the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, which provided massive financial backing, signed numerous superstars and turned City into a serial English champion in the years that followed. Richards also celebrated two of those Premier League titles – alongside legends such as David Silva, current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany and Sergio Agüero – before being loaned to Fiorentina in 2014 and then moving permanently to Aston Villa in 2015. During his four years at Villa, he made just 26 competitive appearances. He also earned 13 caps for the England national team.
In football, therefore, Richards is nowhere near on a par with Thierry Henry, who is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time, or even Jamie Carragher, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005. That is why Richards is taken a little less seriously on the show; people are quicker to laugh at him. Richards himself takes this in his stride, always with a grin, and never takes it personally – he is the likeable whipping boy who can be teased every now and then. Particularly in Scott’s introductory segments, which regularly go viral, Richards is usually the one at whose expense the laughter is directed. “I try to see the good in people. I always try to build others up. That’s how I’ve been my whole life,” he said. Most recently, he even made the usually taciturn Michael Olise laugh.
But behind all the jokes, Richards has a serious side too. On the pitch, the physically robust defender has always shown himself to be passionate and unyielding. Off the pitch, he has offered insights into the darker sides of a professional footballer’s career that are rarely discussed: mental health issues, intense pressure to perform, the fear of losing one’s place in the team due to injury, criticism when things go wrong, and online abuse. "I definitely saw things a bit differently. But ultimately, I’m a positive person."