Micah Richards ready to leave Manchester City in search of first-team football if situation doesn't improve

Defender, who says money is not a concern, will consider position at the end of the season after becoming a peripheral figure at Eastlands

Kicking his heels: Micrah Richards wants more first-team opportunities Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Micah Richards is giving serious consideration to his future at Manchester City after revealing he is finding his lack of first-team football this season “hard to take”.

Before the season began, City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak made it clear that persuading Richards to extend his current deal, which expires in the summer of 2015, was a key priority.

However, after being restricted to just seven Premier League starts last season due to ankle and knee injuries, Richards decided to leave the club’s offer on the table in order to see how he fitted into the plans of Manuel Pellegrini.

The start to the current campaign was interrupted by a hamstring problem sustained in pre-season, but since returning to the team at the end of September he has started just six times in all competitions.

In the summer he suggested that he would be happy to return to rotating with Pablo Zabaleta, but as he waits to see whether he will be included in the line-up to face Swansea City today, the 25-year-old, who joined City 11 years ago, concedes that his patience is running out.