Micah Richards has reiterated his intention to step away from punditry in 2034, and the 38-year-old believes Tottenham midfielder James Maddison could be the natural successor in his broadcasting chair.
Richards, who retired from playing in 2019 after a 14-year career with Manchester City, Fiorentina and Aston Villa, has become a prominent figure on Sky Sports and the BBC, featuring on Match of the Day, Final Score and Radio 5 Live. He also forms part of the CBS Sports Golazo team alongside Kate Scott, Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry, and analysed the World Cup final for the BBC this summer with Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart.
Confirmed timeline for departure
Speaking to The Telegraph two months ago, Richards said he would leave mainstream media by age 46 and would not work beyond the 2034 World Cup, having informed Sky Sports, the BBC and CBS of his plans. In an interview with The Times this week, he confirmed that decision remains unchanged.
“By then I'll have been 15 years a player and 15 years a pundit and what more could I ask for?” he said. “So it'll be, 'What can I give back to the game?' I don't want to work past my sell-by date. Fifteen years, whether you like me or hate me, that's enough time to get across my point. There'll be someone else on the sofa by then. [Jack] Grealish . . . or [James] Maddison. Definitely Maddison. He's a natural on TV. He's the next one.”
Maddison's TV credentials
Maddison has made several appearances on Sky Sports, including a player-guest slot on Monday Night Football in 2025, where he was praised for his charisma and honesty, much like Grealish.
Richards also credited Arsenal legend Thierry Henry with helping him elevate his analysis. “He said, 'You've got a good football brain, but all my friends text me about is how much of a great personality you are.' Thierry said at some point there's got to be a switch, because when you talk about football, it was, 'I like what you're talking about, but we don't hear it enough.'”
“I was taken aback. So I went to his house and we started watching games and he just tapped me like that [on the shoulder]. It was so patronising! 'What do you see there?' 'Well, I see the defender.' He said, 'Yeah, but what are they trying to do? What is the plan? What is this tactic against that tactic?' It opened my eyes. I knew the stuff. But this was him unlocking it. I just look at the game completely different now.”
