I never played for England again after snubbing call-up – but I don’t regret my decision

Micah Richards might have played his last game for England because of it, but he doesn't regret turning down former Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson.

Back in 2012, the ex-Manchester City star rejected Hodgson's offer of a stand-by slot for Euro 2012, choosing a run with Team GB at the London Olympics instead. Richards, 38, accepts that the bold move likely closed the door on his international career, but fulfilling a personal dream made it entirely worth it.

He said at the time: "It was one of those. Do I go on standby or play in the Olympics? I wanted to go and play under [Stuart] Pearce as I knew him from here at City. It was a decision I made, people will always think negatively about it.

"But, from my point of view, we'd won the league that year and the FA Cup the season before. Kyle Walker got injured and I was still being asked to go only on standby." He added: "Was I wrong for making the decision?

"Maybe. But I wanted to play in the Olympics. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance and I enjoyed it. It was one of the best times of my life. I still want to play for my country, everyone does. But what can I do now?

"Of course, there's still a lot of time. But time waits for no-one. We've got young players coming through now like Kyle and Nathaniel Clyne. So, yeah, time is still on my side. But sometimes with England, if you don't get in when you're young and stay in, they look to go younger."

Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly travelled to Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine in his place, with the Three Lions bowing out in the quarter-finals following a 4-2 penalty shootout defeat to Italy.

Later that summer, Richards also suffered a last-eight exit at the Olympics with Team GB, having featured in every match of the tournament before Pearce's side were knocked out by South Korea on penalties (4-5).

Richards held onto a faint hope that a recall to the England set-up remained possible, yet it never materialised. His 13th and final cap came in a friendly against the Netherlands in February 2012.

He explained: "All I can do is play well. People ask me the question about getting back in the England squad and I think, 'I won the FA Cup and then the Premier League in 12 months and I still didn't get in.' So what can I do? I couldn't do any more than that."

Since hanging up his boots in 2019, Richards has established himself as a prominent television pundit, covering the Three Lions during their third-place finish at the World Cup 2026 this past summer.

The former City and Aston Villa defender has proved a well-liked presence on screen, though he revealed in July that he has plans to eventually step back from broadcasting. He revealed to The Telegraph that he intends to step away from mainstream media by the age of 46 and has no intention of working beyond the World Cup 2034.

He reiterated his position when speaking to The Times last week, confirming: "By then I'll have been 15 years a player and 15 years a pundit and what more could I ask for?

"So it'll be, 'What can I give back to the game?' I don't want to work past my sell-by date. Fifteen years, whether you like me or hate me, that's enough time to get across my point. There'll be someone else on the sofa by then."