Take it from someone who has been there, done that.
Aston Villa confirmed Micah Richards as their new captain for the 2015/16 season, on Wednesday. The former Manchester City man was quick to dole out advice to the club’s best attacking prospect.
Richards, who was once touted as a future City captain and England regular, fell by the wayside at Eastlands before eventually moving to Villa Park on a free transfer.
Reporters asked Richards if he had any advice for Jack Grealish, the Birmingham-born Irish Under-21, following his much publicised holiday antics in Tenerife.
He certainly did.
Richards said, ‘Jack’s a very talented boy. When you are going literally from earning, what?, 80 quid a week at 17 and you then sign a contract for big money? What’s he on, thousands of pounds? You think you are The Man, don’t you?.’
Richards, now 27 and 10 years into his professional football career, admits he let fame, and money, go to his head.
He recalls parking on yellow lines outside clubs and restaurants when car parks were right across the road.
Richards added, ‘You’ve got a different mind-set when you are young — giddy. You know what I mean. When you are first pulling a bird, you get giddy with it. When you are young, you are enjoying your life.’
19-year-old Grealish has only made 13 league appearances for Villa but showed flashes of his potential towards the tail-end of last season.
‘You’ve got to make mistakes to learn from them,’ Richards continued.
‘We are only human. You’ve got to enjoy life as well. But as long as you give 100% when you are on that field I think the rest takes care of itself.’
[H/t: The Mirror]
