Aston Villa defender Micah Richards is reportedly set to call it a day when his contract expires in the summer.
Aston Villa supporters on Twitter have reacted with delight that defender Micah Richards is set leave the club when his contract expires in the summer.
The Daily Mail claim that the 30-year-old defender is heading for retirement after struggling to overcome a persistent knee injury after not playing for the club for a number of years.
Centre-back Richards has not played for Villa since October 2016 – Steve Bruce’s first game in charge – and was part of the infamous side that got relegated to the Championship.
Therefore, it isn’t a surprise that many Villa fans on Twitter don’t sympathise with the senior player that he is set to retire because they feel he was one of the ‘worst signings’ in the club’s history.
One fan on Twitter stated that he ‘milked’ it as a professional, while others reminded him that he was captain during Villa’s worst season in their history – their recent relegation campaign.
To some, Richards retirement will come as a surprise because others may have felt he could have continued his career on elsewhere.
But considering the former Premier League player is going to be best remembered for playing regularly in the Villa side that was relegated for the first time in nearly three decades, it is fair to say supporters won’t exactly throw him a leaving party.
Here is a selection of Villa supporters reacting on Twitter to Richards reported retirement:
Since Villa’s relegation, they have struggled to make a return to the Premier League, with Roberto Di Matteo, Steve Bruce and now Dean Smith trying to get them back up.
Last season, under the stewardship of Bruce, they reached the playoff finals but were beaten by Fulham. They are now sitting four points outside of the top-six under Smith.
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