All this has been said before. At City, though, there was incredulity that Richards had been omitted from a squad which includes two right-backs - Glen Johnson and Kyle Walker - whose games are hardly founded on flawless, traditional defending.

Richards' City team-mate Yaya Toure said: 'Am I surprised? Yes. Because Micah is fantastic now. He's improving. I thought he would be part of the national team.'

As far as City coach Roberto Mancini is concerned, Richards has been one of the success stories of his two years at the club.

On arriving, he heard the stories. Richards was, so the rumours went, too fond of body sculpting in the gym; too happy to rely on pace and power to get him out of trouble. Perhaps Mancini believed some of it for he quickly bought his own right back, German World Cup star Jerome Boateng.

Now, though, Boateng is back in Germany and Richards is a regular in Mancini's team.

'There was a point when Mancini had to decide what to do with Micah,' said a City source. 'He was told he could sell him or give him a new contract.

'He didn't hesitate. He wanted to him to stay.'

Nobody on the City staff believes that Richards is the perfect defender. Mancini feels concentration lapses remain, but that they are increasingly uncommon.  

The stories of too much time on the weight machines are untrue. No City player is allowed in the training ground gym without a member of the sports science team anyway.

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