MX23RW : Saturday, October 5 11:07:55| >> :120:14021:14021:

Micah Richards "gutted to be leaving" Manchester City

Aston Villa full-back Micah Richards acknowledges that he had little choice but to leave Manchester City in order to secure more regular game time.

Micah Richards has admitted that he is "gutted" to have called time on his Manchester City career, having joined Aston Villa on a free contract this summer.

The 27-year-old penned a four-year deal at Villa Park last month to bring an end to his 10-year spell with the Citizens.

Richards still holds many fond memories of his time at the club, particularly under the watch of former boss Roberto Mancini, and insists that he will make a return one day.

"For me [Mancini] was amazing," he told citytv. "He played me all the time when I was fit. I probably had my best season under Mancini. He definitely improved me as a player.

"City have stuck by me and it's definitely the club of my heart. When I finish I've always said I would want to come back in some capacity. I'm gutted to be leaving but it's the right decision for me and I've got a lot of amazing memories."

Aston Villa start their season with a trip to face Bournemouth at Dean Court on August 8.

ID:232191: cacheID:232191:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2068:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Fabian Delph in action for Aston Villa on December 28, 2014
Read Next:
Man City to complete £8m Fabian Delph deal?
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool65011221015
2Manchester CityMan City6420146814
3Arsenal6420125714
4Chelsea6411157813
5Aston Villa6411129313
6Fulham632185311
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle632187111
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs6312125710
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton623110829
10Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest62316519
11Bournemouth622289-18
12Brentford6213810-27
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd621358-37
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham6123610-45
15Ipswich TownIpswich6042510-54
16Everton6114715-84
17Leicester CityLeicester6033812-43
18Crystal Palace603359-43
19Southampton6015312-91
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves6015616-101


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!