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Micah Richards has thrown down the gauntlet to Manchester City’s exciting crop of youngsters to follow his lead.

The powerhouse defender has moved on to Aston Villa after making 245 senior appearances for City.

But he wants to see more from the youth set-up take the same route from the club’s academy to the first-team.

Since Richards made his first-team debut in 2005, only Dedryck Boyata, now at Celtic, has made a significant stab at making that transition - and then with limited success.

But fans’ favourite Richards believes the stage is set for the next generation to flourish.

He believes players like Kelechi Iheanacho, Jason Denayer, Rony Lopes and Brandon Barker have the ideal opportunity and - with the creation of the City Football Academy - environment for success.

Richards, who left City with Premier League and FA Cup winner’s medals, reflected on his emergence from the ranks in a different era and said: “The academy was at Platt Lane and if you ever thought you’d win a Premier League you’d just laugh.

“Having seen this place now (the CFA) - the first time I’ve seen it since getting back from Italy, it makes me happy because I know the players here, if they’re good enough, they’ll get a chance, especially with the facilities now.

“I hope there’s another one that can come through and not just play one or two games but really make a career for themselves here.”

City fans are desperate to see a homegrown player make the grade and there was some consternation when manager Manuel Pellegrini failed to hand anyone from the youth set-up the chance of a first-team run-out in the ‘dead-rubber’ clash with Southampton in the final game of last season.

But the signs are that Denayer and Iheanacho, at least, could break through in some capacity this season.

And Richards, talking to the club website added: “The young players here are good.

“I know the level’s a lot harder now but the manager’s always said if you’re good enough you’ll get the chance and I hope the players do get the chance.”

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Richards says he would relish a return to City once his playing days are finished.

He said: “It definitely will be a club in my heart and when I finish football, whenever it may be. I’ve always said I’d want to come back here in some capacity.

“I feel it’s the right decision for me (to move on) but obviously I’m gutted to be leaving.”

Richards, meanwhile, says it was fate that he would one day join hometown club Villa.

He said: “My dad said to me out of the blue about three years ago and said ‘I can see that you will end up at Villa’. I don’t know why he said that or where it came from. But he had a premonition.

“And now I’m here! It’s incredible how these things work. I am delighted he was right.”