Micah Richards has pledged to quit punditry in eight years’ time, while his Sky Sports colleague Roy Keane is set to walk away before then. Neither wants to be working in punditry in ten years' time.
Richards' retirement plan
Richards, 38, announced in July his plans to step away from punditry by 2034. The former England and Manchester City right-back, who retired from playing in 2019, has become one of the most recognisable faces in football media, appearing regularly on Sky Sports, the BBC’s Match of the Day and CBS Sports.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "I’ll be out of all this by the time I turn 46. You won’t see me on any mainstream media beyond the 2034 World Cup. That will be the last time I am on the BBC or Sky or CBS. I’ve told them all this and they think I’m joking. I’m not."
Keane's earlier exit
Keane, 55, could depart even before Richards. The Manchester United legend revealed in August 2024 that he wasn’t planning on being a pundit in ten years’ time. On the Stick to Football podcast, when asked where he envisions himself by his 63rd birthday, Keane said: "Hopefully, I'll be out of this rat race in about 12 months. A nice house somewhere, a bit of land, a few animals."
When Jamie Carragher asked if he sees himself still working as a football pundit in ten years’ time, Keane flatly rejected the idea, saying: "Absolutely f**king not. Jesus Christ, you must be joking. I'll struggle for the next 10 months doing this."
Plans beyond punditry
Later that year, Keane revealed his intention to relocate overseas within the next few years. During The Overlap On Tour episode in Turin, he mentioned a potential move to a country like Switzerland. "In the next couple of years, I reckon I will be moving abroad... putting it out there," he said. When pushed on an exact destination, he replied: "Do you know what, Switzerland, maybe? Switzerland is beautiful."
Keane is still offering his insights for Sky Sports, with the new Premier League season underway, and spent the summer working as a pundit for ITV at the World Cup.
Richards, meanwhile, has other plans. He said: "I’ve given so much of my life to football since leaving school at 14. But when the time comes, I want to make a difference to people’s lives at a grassroots level – to help those who need it most, especially young people. I come from Chapeltown in Leeds. It’s an area where there is so much talent, but a shortage of opportunity. I want to give something back. That’s my aim. I’ve no idea what form that will take, yet. There’s plenty of time to work that out."
