Micah Richards hits back at claims he and Alex Scott are ‘only on air because of Black Lives Matter’

Former England international and Manchester City star Micah Richards has hit back at the claims that he and fellow pundit Alex Scott are ‘only on air because of Black Lives Matter’.

A regular on the BBC’s Monday Night Club show on the broadcaster’s 5Live station, Richards has continued his rise to become one of Football’s leading TV pundits.

But for some, Richards’ qualities are not suffice.

The 32-year-old, who won the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his career with Manchester City, believes that his hard work to carve out a media career is being ‘tarnished’ by claims he is only being employed so broadcasting companies in the wake of the Black Lives Matters movement.

Speaking on Sky’s Monday Night Football show, Richards said: "I'm here, working for Sky Sports. One of the biggest corporations in the world and I'm here because I believed in myself. I love football, I love working with Jamie Carragher and I'm in a privileged position and I did this through hard work, and the hard work I put in is not going to be tarnished."

"Yes, [I feel the perception of me has changed through the Black Lives Matter movement]. I've got people on Twitter, I've got people on Instagram saying: 'Micah Richards is only on because of this Black Lives Matter movement'.

"But I've had conversations with corporations that I worked for way before this and now I'm getting tarnished with the same brush that I'm only on TV because of Black Lives Matter, which is disheartening for me because I put in the work.

"I work every single day at my craft. I've been a professional footballer, I've won a Premier League title, I've played at the highest level and I'm still getting stones thrown at me.

"If I've got to fly the flag, if people want to throw stones at me, I'll happily take it because I know I put in the work."

Richards also defended fellow presenter Alex Scott, with the former Arsenal Women and England star having been subjected to substantial abuse after being named on both the rejuvenated Soccer Saturday team, and as the host of BBC’s Question of Sport panel show

"Alex Scott is incredible. She's one of the best I've ever worked with and it's even worse for her because she's a woman, and she's seen as black as well,” Richards continued.

"It's double jeopardy. She's in a worse position. She is honestly one of the best pundits I have ever worked with and all you see on social media is: 'Why is a woman working in men's football? She doesn't know.'”

Read more

Alex Scott thanks fans after abuse over Question of Sport speculation

Alex Scott shares anti-racism poem after A Question Of Sport backlash