Aston Villa confirmed on Saturday that Micah Richards had left the club after four years. Mile Jedinak, Alan Hutton, Tommy Elphick, Albert Adomah, Glenn Whelan, Ritchie De Laet and Mark Bunn were also released. Richards joined Villa from Manchester City in July 2015 and made 31 appearances in all competitions. The 30-year-old’s last outing for the Midlands outfit came against Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 15, 2016 – two-and-a-half years ago.
The centre-back has struggled with an ongoing knee injury that frequently swells up and stops Richards from playing competitive football. The England international last made the Villa matchday squad against Middlesbrough (League Cup) on September 19.