Published: 06:28 EDT, 23 October 2023 | Updated: 07:07 EDT, 23 October 2023

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]]]]>]]>Micah Richards has admitted to downing 10 drinks the night before a game during his time at Manchester City.

Richards went through City's academy before breaking into the first team as he won the Premier League and FA Cup with the club.

But he encountered a number of injury setbacks in the latter stages of his time at City, forcing him to regularly miss matches.

He has now opened up on his return from one lay-off where he was not expecting to play the next day and decided to make the most of the alcohol on offer at the team's hotel.

'I'd just got back in the squad with (Manuel) Pellegrini and you pretty much know if you're going to be left out,' Richards explained to Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on The Rest is Football podcast.

Micah Richards has revealed he downed 10 drinks the night before a Man City game

'You're sort of travelling if anyone gets injured. So I remember travelling somewhere, can't remember where we were travelling to. I know I'm not playing, just come back from injury, just got back into it.

'So we get back to the hotel, and normally they take out all your alcohol of the fridge. Because I was probably a late shout for the squad, I've got all the alcohol in my fridge. So I'm thinking "I've just come back from injury, I'm not going to be playing, I'll have one". One turns to two, two turns to three, before you know it I'm 10 drinks down!'

After making the most of the minibar, Richards expected to get away with it as he figured he was unlikely to feature the following day.

However, a phone call on the morning of the match changed all that, and he was suddenly left panicking about potentially having to play while nursing a hangover, leading to him revealing to the club doctor about his late-night drinking the previous evening.

Richards continued: 'I get a call in the morning, someone's injured. I've never been so nervous in my life!

'So, and people don't really know this, you have a relationship with the doctor, the physios and then a different relationship with the manager. So, the doctor and physio always try to protect you if they can.

'The manager has a conversation "are you playing or not playing?" So I was just like to the manager "I'm not ready boss, my hamstring's not right" or this, that and the other, but really I've told the doc and the physio "I've been steaming last night, you're going to have to make up an excuse, I can't be in the squad, I just can't do it".

'And luckily the other sub went onto the bench and ended up going on and I didn't have to appear, but that's another true story.'

Richards' narrow escape drew howls of laughter from Lineker and Shearer, with the duo left astonished by the story.

Shearer then asked: 'How on earth did we get onto this by the way? We're reviewing the Premier League weekend!'

Lineker responded: 'That's alright, this is a podcast, we do what we want!'

Richards ended up not playing in the game for Pellegrini after revealing to the club doctor that he had been drinking the previous night

It is not Richards' only drinking story from his City days, as he previously revealed in 2021 that he spent $150,000 on one night out in Los Angeles when his wages rocketed to PS50,000-a-week.

Shearer was also on hand to hear that story, and cheekily responded: 'That must have been one hell of a f****** hangover!'

Richards went on to be loaned out by City to Serie A side Fiorentina in 2014 after playing under Pellegrini for just one season.

He left City permanently the following summer to join Aston Villa on a free transfer, playing out the final four years of his career at the Midlands club before hanging up his boots in 2019 to move into punditry.

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