Hughes will not let Richards leave

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes insists he will not let Micah Richards leave the club in January.

Richards has been linked with a move away from the club after falling down the pecking-order at City and both Aston Villa and Tottenham are reportedly interested in signing the defender.

“Micah Richards is not going anywhere in January,” said Hughes.

“He is a big part of what we are trying to do here and we know he can improve.

“Don’t forget, he is still a very young man.

“His football experience is great for someone of so few years and sometimes he doesn’t get enough credit for that.

“But he is nowhere near the finished article. There is a huge amount of potential still to be tapped into.

“Micah’s physical attributes lend themselves to so many positions.

“We just have to make sure he is training and playing correctly because he will grow into an outstanding player.

“He had a real burst of attention when he broke into the team but with a young player you always have a period where they plateau out.

“You have to get used to people taking a more critical view of you and maybe Micah has found that adjustment difficult.”

[Source: The Mirror]