Former England defender Micah Richards has revealed his hectic World Cup plans, which involve frequent transatlantic trips to balance his broadcasting commitments. Richards made a 3,345-mile journey from New York to Salford for BBC One's coverage of Canada versus Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Richards in Times Square
Richards' face is currently featured on the big screens in New York's Times Square as part of Netflix's The Rest is Football podcast, streamed live from the US. He confirmed that he will be making trips from New York to the UK every "few days" throughout the World Cup schedule.
While settling in alongside pundits Wayne Rooney and Olivier Giroud, the 13-time England international joked that he could see co-host Gary Lineker in the studio's backdrop. Presenter Gabby Logan remarked, "We know you've been out in New York but you don't need to acclimatise because I'm bringing New York to you!" Richards quipped, "This is amazing. If you look over there you can see Gary Lineker."
New York Knicks Excitement
When asked about his time in New York before returning to the UK, Richards spoke about the city's excitement after the Knicks took a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Alan Shearer, who watched the game in a bar, confirmed the atmosphere was electric. Richards recalled, "It felt great, more importantly, it's been about the Knicks because they haven't won it for years. We won't feel it until America play, but out there it was buzzing. I'm absolutely buzzing - thanks for the call-up."
Richards will now return to Manhattan after his BBC duties to rejoin Lineker and Shearer in their podcast studio overlooking Times Square. Shearer added, "You could still hear the horns this morning after the New York Knicks win. I was lucky enough to be in a bar that was rammed and off the charts with people going mad. New York is alive and kicking as are the New York Knicks."
