by Green & Blue » Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:00 am
Taken from ssn
Manchester City's frustrated right-back Michael Richards has confirmed he wants to leave the club unless he can secure regular football at Eastlands.
The 22-year-old burst onto the scene as a teenager and had been a regular for England, but a loss of form saw him lose his place in both sides.
Richards has been pleased with his displays this term, but the arrival of Germany international Jerome Boateng and the form of Pablo Zabaleta means he remains on the outside looking in.
The Birmingham-born defender has made 10 Premier League starts this term under Roberto Mancini and he has no problem with the Italian, but he now wants to play week-in, week-out.
Richards insists the time has now come for him to play regular first-team football as he is no longer content with warming the bench without kicking a ball in anger.
Ability
"I know people will be reading this wondering why I don't just shut up," he told The Sun.
"City are second and they will say what the manager is doing is working and keeping us fresh but I know my ability and I want to show it.
"I'm not the sort of player who can just sit around and bank his wages. I've got no problem with the club or Roberto Mancini as a manager but he knows how I feel. I went to see the boss and told him how frustrated I was.
"He said I was part of his plans but I went three Premier League games without even getting on, started against Aston Villa, then didn't play against Blackpool.
"Sometimes I'm in, then Jerome Boateng comes in instead, or Pablo Zabaleta, or two of us play. It's in, out, in, out, mix and match.
"I could understand being left out when Mark Hughes was in charge because I wasn't playing that well and was going through a bad time. We didn't have so many good players but I wasn't at my best.
"I wasn't in the team at the end of last season under Mancini either but I worked really hard in pre-season and was determined to become an important part of the team. I feel I've been playing well. I'm confident in my ability and know when my game is in good shape, which right now it is.
"When I first got into the team as a teenager everything was going great but I hadn't really learned the game properly and I sort of crashed for a while.
"But I'm a different person now, I've learned, and I'm happy with my game again. Mancini says I've improved a lot but it's not getting me regular starts.
"I've never really been used to sitting on the bench and not playing and I hate it. I don't feel it's acceptable to me if I'm honest.
Ridiculous
"We've got a ridiculous amount of players, so many in every position who are all top quality and there are plenty of good players who don't get in at all.
"We travel with 21 and three don't even get to be sub. You hope the club understands that they have to let people go and not leave them to rot.
"Players like Shaun Wright-Phillips have been frustrated at not playing as has Adam Johnson. Shaun was told the same thing by Mr Capello that I was, that he needs to get regular football.
"I feel more for Adam, particularly, because he could find himself in the same situation as me and Shaun. He's a young man who wants to be playing too and he has said that a few times this season.
"I love City. I've been there since I was 15 and I got capped by England while playing for this club. But having reached that level I want to keep myself up there.
"This is not me telling the boss, 'you must pick me for every game', I'm just telling it as I feel it. I want to be somewhere where I'm kicking a ball every week."
