Micah Richards column

I am not surprised my Manchester City team-mate Michael Johnson has been getting so much praise recently - his performances speak for themselves.

Everyone can see he is a class player and, with hard work in the next couple of years, he is capable of just about anything.

He has been playing for England Under-21s but his aim has got to be the senior team.

Obviously it is not going to be easy with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Owen Hargreaves and Gareth Barry in his position.

But he is still only young and, in time, I believe he will play in centre midfield for England.

It has definitely helped Johnno having Didi Hamann playing alongside him for City.

I don't think Didi has had enough credit this season. He has been one of our best players and he is very under-rated.

He and Johnno are a good team. Obviously Didi has not got the legs that he used to have to get up and down - so that's what Johnno does, while Didi just cleans things up.

Johnno coming through the ranks is great for the club and Tuesday's Carling Cup win over Norwich was another good day for City's academy.

I didn't play but I was at the game - I've got a box at the ground now so me, my brothers, my cousins and my agent went down to watch it.

I'd prefer to play, but it is good the manager is giving youngsters their chance with Kelvin Etuhu and Ched Evans making their debuts and Shal Logan enjoying his home bow.

It means 25 players have come through City's academy to play for the first team since it was set up in 1998, which is pretty impressive.

I was bit disappointed that Ashley Grimes wasn't in the squad though because I rate him very highly, but I am sure his chance will come soon.

I joined City's academy when I was 14 - I left Oldham to come here.

I was going to go to City when I was about 11 but Oldham was only about 30 minutes drive away from where I lived in Leeds and my dad thought it would be easier for me at that age to get there from school.

When I was a bit older my dad thought it would be a bit of a challenge for me to go to City and make a bit of a step-up.

There was a guy called Danny Allen who moved to City from Oldham at the same time but he got released when he was 18 unfortunately.

I know people often make this excuse, but it was down to a bad hip injury he had - he was a good player. He is with FC United in the UniBond League now.

When I joined City I was still living in Leeds. I trained on Tuesday and Thursday nights and played on Saturdays.

I finished school at 3.30pm and training was 6pm so I pretty much had to leave straight from school because the traffic was a bit of a joke.

I wouldn't get home until late either. There was so much travelling and it was quite tiring.

My friends were doing other things - school discos and things like that! - so it was a bit annoying at times but it has paid off now so it was worth it.

When I was 16 and left school I went to live in digs in Stockport. To be honest I just wanted to come here and give football a go.

I was living with Ashley Williams at first, then he moved out and it was me and Karl Moore. Both of them are still with City by the way.

When we all got together the lads would be clowning around and wanting to go out but that is just normal. Everyone goes through it but at the end of the day you have to focus on your football.

In my first season at the academy I was working with Frankie Bunn, who is now at Coventry City.

He was quite firm with me, but not for no reason. He wanted me to improve and be the best player I could be and he demanded 100%.

I used to get advice about my diet too - we were told that the best players are the ones that prepare themselves right - and it is true.

At that age when your coaches are telling you stuff like that it goes in one ear and out the other but if you actually listen and take into consideration what they're saying you realise they are right.

The actual training itself was quite technical, with a lot of five-a-sides and skill drills.

Being in an academy is a bit different to how it used to be as an apprentice at a club - thank God! - we didn't have to clean any of the first team players' boots or anything like that.

I was based at Platt Lane up until this point, it was only when I was 17 that I started training with the first team at Carrington. At the same time I moved out of digs and bought a house in Stockton Heath.

It was quite strange to be training with the senior players but, once I got used to it, I started to benefit.

My debut at Arsenal only came about because Nedum Onuoha was injured. I had been in squads before but that was the first time I had made the bench.

I remember during the game I was told I was going to get on and my heart was just beating like crazy.

Being an Arsenal fan, to make my City debut at Highbury was a great feeling and, at the time, it was the most memorable day of my life.

When I came on I actually went up front though, which is not my best position. I did have a shot but unfortunately it hit the corner flag, which wasn't quite so memorable!

Micah Richards was talking to Chris Bevan

Source: BBC Sport