Micah Richards has admitted to the Greatest Game podcast that he used to have a ‘love’ for Leeds United as they were his local team.
Richards, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, says that Leeds were one of the teams he cheered on when he was a child.
But the price of tickets meant that he couldn’t afford to go to Elland Road regularly enough to become a fully fledged supporter.
“As a kid I had so many teams! I liked Newcastle, because of Shearer and Ferdinand. I had a love for Leeds because I was from Leeds but the team I supported was Arsenal,” Richards said.
“I went to one game [at Elland Road] when your school gets to watch a game, because we didn’t have the money to go and watch a game. I used to watch it on TV, we had Sky, that was what we’d spend our money on.
“I used to watch all the games on Sky, so I only went to Elland Road once and that’s probably why I didn’t end up a Leeds fans.”
Richards actually spent time in Leeds’ academy system as a youngster.
He played at Thorp Arch until 2000, when he joined Oldham Athletic and then Manchester City.
Leeds may look back with some regret that they weren’t able to hold on to Richards now, given the stellar career that he has enjoyed since.
But the pundit is likely to have loved what he has seen from his former side this season.
Leeds have been brilliant in their first season back in the top flight, with Marcelo Bielsa’s men currently occupying a place in the top half of the Premier League table.
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