«I Drank a Lot to Suppress It»: The Moving Story Behind the Lovable Character of the Most Popular Football Show

In 2019, severe injuries forced Micah Richards, then 31, to prematurely end his football career. Today, the popular pundit openly discusses his past struggles with depression and alcohol abuse.

Micah Richards is a key figure alongside Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and host Kate Scott in the widely popular CBS football pundit team, cherished by fans worldwide. The quartet masterfully blends deep football insights with entertaining moments, with Richards particularly renowned for his humor and infectious laughter. However, in a recent broadcast, the former Manchester City professional took the opportunity to speak about the most challenging period of his life and the significant hurdles faced by former football players.

Last Wednesday, the legendary CBS Sports Golazo show was experiencing another typical Champions League evening with its crew when Henry briefly interrupted host Scott, taking the floor for a few minutes. «May I interrupt you for a moment? May I take over briefly?» the 48-year-old asked. After initially offering some complimentary words to former US international and guest Clint Dempsey, Henry turned to his colleague and friend Micah Richards, whose chair was to his right, and the mood grew more serious: «I wanted to tell you something because I couldn’t yesterday. Yesterday you made me realize something that I could identify with. And I wanted to tell you that personally.»

The French World and European champion then spoke about his own struggles with both Achilles tendons, which plagued him for ten years, but emphasized that he was at least able to end his illustrious career «on my terms» – something that was denied to Richards. The Englishman, who played 245 competitive matches as a right-back for Manchester City, had to end his professional career at the tender age of 31 in 2019 due to severe injuries. He had played his last game even earlier, at 29.

«I have the utmost respect for how you’ve handled that. I don’t know how you mentally managed it. And yet you always sit here in a good mood, lifting everyone’s spirits and making everyone happy. I just wanted to tell you: We don’t take you for granted. I wanted you to know, because sometimes you think people don’t see you – but we see you,» Henry stressed.

Micah Richards: «I Had My First Surgery When I Was 17 or 18»

Somewhat surprised but visibly moved, Richards stood up and created a heartfelt moment as he embraced Henry. When asked again by Scott, Richards opened up and spoke about the most difficult phases of his life towards the end of his career: «I was definitely depressed. But I didn’t deal with it. I drank a lot to somehow suppress it.»

Richards’ injury list throughout his career is indeed very long; hardly any body region remained untouched during 13 years of competitive sport. As early as 2010, the first signs of chronic problems in both Achilles tendons appeared. This was followed by hamstring, calf, and ankle injuries. The ultimate blow to his career came from knee problems. «I had my first surgery when I was 17 or 18. That continued throughout my entire career.» He realized he couldn’t continue «when I basically had to have fluid drained from my knee every three days.» He ignored doctors’ warnings that this could severely affect him later in life, «because I just loved football so much.»

His friend Madge, in particular, helped him through this period. «He put my life somewhat into perspective, in the sense of: Are you happy? Do you have your family around you? It’s not all the other things that come with it,» Richards explained. «It was just a facade – all the glitz and glamour that comes with being a professional footballer. That made me look at life differently – in the sense that there’s more to it than cars and houses. It’s about relationships and the people around you.»

Micah Richards: The Lovable Sport of the Popular Football Show

Compared to his colleagues Henry and Carragher – who were indispensable at their world-class clubs (Henry at Arsenal, Carragher at Liverpool) – Richards’ career is somewhat less celebrated. In 2006, he made the jump from Man City’s youth academy to the first team. However, the Manchester City of that era, apart from the sky-blue club colors, had little in common with today’s version of Man City. At that time, the Citizens were at best an average team, usually found in the lower half of the Premier League table.

The picture only changed in 2009 with the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, which massively funded the club, signed numerous superstars, and thus transformed City into an English serial champion in the following years. Richards also celebrated two of these Premier League titles – alongside legends like David Silva, current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, and Sergio Agüero – before he was initially loaned to Fiorentina in 2014 and then moved permanently to Aston Villa in 2015. At Villa, he played only 26 competitive matches in four years. He also earned 13 caps for the English national team.

In football, Richards therefore by no means enjoys the same standing as a Thierry Henry, who is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, or even a Jamie Carragher, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005. This is why Richards is often taken a little less seriously on the show, and laughed at more quickly. Richards himself takes this in good spirits, always with a grin, and never takes it personally – he is the good-natured sport, on whom one can occasionally joke around. «I try to see the good in people. I always strive 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 also has his serious side. On the pitch, the physically robust defender always showed passion and tenacity. Off the field, he offered insights into the darker sides of a professional footballer’s career that are rarely discussed: mental problems, high performance pressure, the fear of losing one’s place in the team due to injury, criticism for failure, and online hate. «I definitely saw things a little differently. But ultimately, I am a positive person.»

Micah Richards’ Career in Numbers: