Micah Richards

“You don't see players at United complaining to their manager when they are taken off.”

“A lot of the older pros - I won't name names - they need the money and are bitter about the money in modern football.”

“I know a lot of players would just take the money at City. But I'd rather take a pay cut and play every week.”

“I like Carlos Tevez. He's probably the best striker I've played with.”

“I work for the BBC now. I do it because I genuinely love football.”

“When I was younger, I always thought, 'I can do anything' but I felt myself turning slower, picking up hamstring injuries. It went from bad to worse.”

“Sunderland, West Ham and Orlando City wanted me but Villa wouldn't sell me, saying I was too vital in the dressing room.”

“I appreciate what I have and, when people called me flash in the past, it hurt. I read an article not long ago saying I had given up all the bling and was concentrating on my football. Forget the football articles, that was one of the most satisfying things I have ever read about myself.”

“When I first came in Stuart Pearce was great for me, gave me my debut at 17. Back then I wasn't really playing for much and you could just go out there and enjoy it.”

“But you can never take anything for granted in the FA Cup, because an upset is always only just around the corner, and I have experienced those too.”

“I know it didn't always go so well under Mark Hughes but it wasn't as if he didn't give me a chance or anything. He really did.”

“I'm just the same as any other kid, my mum gets me to the do the washing up and help with the chores - nothing much has changed there.”

“It was weird at Fiorentina, because I wouldn't sign a contract and commit, so they played somebody else. But I definitely think it was still a good move and living in Florence was probably one of the best times of my life.”

“From 17 to 19 or 20 I was just getting praise. Then when things aren't going so well you're getting most of the stick and it's hard at such a young age. That's when your confidence goes.”

“I loved Twitter. But I was going to end up saying something that would get me into trouble. I have kept a clean nose for a couple of years and wouldn't want something like Twitter to ruin it.”

“But when you are an injured footballer, especially when you are out for as long as I was, you find out all about the dark side of the game.”

“When you are a successful footballer, you get put on a pedestal. You are the person your friends and family look up to, and they do not know how to approach you when things are going wrong, even when you just need someone to reach out to you and ask you if you are all right.”

“Do I like most footballers? Not really. Joe Hart, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott, Gabby Agbonlahor and a group of the guys at Villa - good people.”

“Off the pitch, everyone says I and Mario Balotelli look alike, but I don't think so. A fan was waiting for a long time after a game for me. When I came out it turned out he was waiting as he thought I was Mario. He was pretty disappointed!”

“I've not always played well for City, but I'd never been the scapegoat, coming off at half-time when in my head I thought I was having a decent game. It was weird, unnatural, it had never happened to me before and it felt like no matter what I did it wasn't good enough any more.”