Former England defender Micah Richards has opened up about his plans to jet back and forth during this summer’s World Cup while juggling his broadcasting duties.
Mika Richards explains his busy World Cup schedule (Image: BBC Sport)
Micah Richards has revealed his busy World Cup plans after traveling 3,345 miles from New York to Salford for BBC One’s coverage of Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Richards’ face was shown on a big screen in New York’s Times Square as part of Netflix’s The Rest is Football Podcast, which was live-streamed from the US. However, Richards admitted he would travel from New York to England every “few days” as part of the World Cup schedule.
As the former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender lounged alongside pundits Wayne Rooney and Olivier Giroud, the 13-times capped England defender joked that co-host Gary Lineker could be seen in the swanky backdrop of the TV studio.
Presenter Gabby Logan said: “I know you’ve been to New York, but you don’t have to get used to it because I’m bringing you New York! (referring to the backdrop of the BBC World Cup in Salford).”
Richards then quipped: “This is amazing. If you look over there, you’ll see Gary Lineker.”
After being asked what it was like being in the Big Apple before returning to the UK, Richards spoke of his joy on the streets of New York City after Alan Shearer admitted to watching the game in a bar last night, with the Knicks leading the series 3-1 in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
Recalling his story to Logan, Richards said: “It felt really good, and more importantly, the Knicks hadn’t won (in the NBA playoffs) in years.
“You don’t feel it until America plays[in the first World Cup game]but it was buzzing outside.” But it’s really buzzing – thanks for calling. ”
Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker present ‘The Rest Is Football’ ahead of the World Cup (Image: The Rest Is Football / YouTube)
Mr. Richards will return to Manhattan after his stint with the BBC and join Mr. Lineker and Mr. Shearer at a podcast studio overlooking Times Square. “I could still hear the horns this morning when the New York Knicks won,” Shearer previously said.
“I was lucky enough to be in a bar that was off the charts with huge crowds and people going crazy. I saw the first two quarters and left before the chaos started, and on my way back to the hotel, this place was going crazy with people honking their horns.
“New York is alive, just like the New York Knicks.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £4.50
sky
Get the deal here
Sky is marking the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 20% discount on its entire range of glass TVs. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 a month when taken with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
