Micah Richards has warned of the consequences of having too much too soon after exposing how he used to spend his £250,000 a month at Manchester City on cars and alcohol.
In a recent interview, the former City and Villa defender turned pundit and Sportsmail columnist revealed that when he started making big money at the Etihad Stadium, he “went straight out and bought me a Ferrari.”
After progressing through the City junior divisions, Richards received his first professional contract in 2005, at the age of 17. The now 33-year-old, who has been on Sky Sports, BBC, and CBS, acknowledged that the move from youthful prodigy to millionaire was difficult for him and that he would frequently blow his money after getting paid by sponsors.’
Imagine moving from £500 to $5,000 a week.” ‘And then going from $5,000 per week to $50,000 per week.’ Then there would be bonuses, appearance money, and a signing-on fee spread out throughout the course of the deal. ‘ I recall one pay packet being almost $250k for a month. I was at the training ground, staring at my pay stub, and thought to myself, “Wow. How? ” “
What are your options?” I know exactly what I did. ‘I immediately went out and purchased a Ferrari. ‘I already had a Range Rover and an Aston Martin, but I decided it was time to upgrade. I purchased a Ferrari F430 for myself. After that, a 458 Speciale. ‘
I then began looking at houses in Hale.'” I acquired this seven-bedroom property for £3 million and shared it with two brothers, two cousins, and my best friend. It was already more than enough where I was living, but that’s what happens when you’re a footballer. The question is always, “Who has the greatest house?” Who has the best automobile? You can never be satisfied. You must always desire more. ‘
Richards revealed how he built up pricey champagne bills while partying with buddies in Los Angeles on one spectacular night. He further stated that when in Manchester or London, he would spend between £20,000 and £30,000. He added, “That was almost $150,000 in one night.”
We were pouring in tips and really wanted the biggest bottle because it was so extravagant (of champagne). ‘It was a little under $100,000.’ And it was at that point that my perspective shifted. I had planned to stay for a month, but after three weeks, I said, “I can’t do this anymore.” I can’t. I’m going to run out of money. ‘
With City, Richards won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup, as well as 13 England caps, but his career was marred by injury. He claimed that his frequent absences from the team, notably at Villa, made him “borderline depressed.”
‘I was training but not playing, which was difficult. ‘It’s been extremely difficult,’ People speak about the money, but I was going into training knowing I wasn’t going to play, and I was trying to keep everyone else’s spirits up like I was a cheerleader or something, but I’m really struggling. ‘
It was the first time in my life that I thought to myself, “I can’t handle this.” I usually have all the answers. ‘I didn’t know the answers to this. I was having trouble. Because you have money, a house, and a car, you believe you are in good shape, and you try to push things aside.
“What do I have to be concerned about?” But I was having trouble. Mentally, I’m struggling. I was embarrassed to leave my house because I was afraid of what Villa fans would say. ‘
