Last chance saloon: This 28-year-old must quit Aston Villa this summer
COMMENT By Matt Farr
Micah Richards was once considered one of the next big talents in English football. However, a decade later, one of England’s brightest young stars is now wasting away on the bench at Aston Villa – if that.
The fact that Richards – a defender – has fallen behind a midfielder in the pecking order to fill a void in Villa’s defence is telling of his current role at the club.
Steve Bruce has recently chosen to experiment with central midfielder Mile Jedinak in a centre-back role, which could prove to be a tactical masterstroke from the Villa Park chief.
Jedinak has started very well in the role, keeping clean sheets in his two appearances at the heart of the Aston Villa defence.
However, in making that decision Bruce has chosen to overlook Richards for a role in his starting eleven, which is why the 28-year-old must quit the club this summer.
The former Manchester City defender made two appearances before being struck down with a knee injury in the first half of the campaign, but since returning to action has yet to feature for the club.
He has been named in Bruce’s matchday squad for their last four Championship outings, but has remained an unused substitute throughout.
The 13-time capped England international could still do a reasonable job for a side at the lower end of the Premier League scale, and should not accept his current role at Aston Villa as a token of his true ability.
His recent injury struggles will be a major concern, but there’s no reason why he can’t quit Aston Villa at the end of the season and start afresh.
He will have another two years left to run on his contract in the summer, but he has slipped into the shadows at the Midlands outfit and needs to shake off his tag as the forgotten man.
If he remains with Villa next season, he risks falling even further into obscurity, which is the worst possible scenario for a player that has already seen his progress take a critical hit.
At his age he’s in the last chance saloon and he must make his next move stick.
In other Aston Villa transfer news, Bruce has insisted the club start showing more of their financial muscle in the transfer market.
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