23
Jun
Micah Richards recalls awkward encounter with Gareth Southgate in Harrogate coffee shop
Football pundit Micah Richards has recalled an awkward encounter with England manager Gareth Southgate in a Harrogate coffee shop.
Former Manchester City and England defender Richards and Southgate both live locally.
Richards was dissecting England’s disappointing performance against Denmark in Euro 24 with Gary Lineker on The Rest is Football podcast when the meeting came up.
The two men talked about how they had to give honest criticism even though they liked Southgate personally.
Richards then brought up the encounter at Hoxton North on Royal Parade. He said:
I live in Harrogate. Gareth Southgate lives in Harrogate and I think I was a little bit critical of one of the games in the past.
And I went to a coffee shop called Hoxtons — I go there, regular — really good.
Discussing the incident with Gary Lineker on The Rest is Football.
Lineker joked that anyone wanting to meet Richards should go to Hoxtons, then Richards went on to say he noticed Southgate in his peripheral vision:
And we sort of locked eyes. But I know I’d been negative — not negative about him but about how England had played. And I don’t know if he saw it.
The coffee shop where the England stars met.
When Lineker asked if he said anything to Southgate, Richards replied:
I avoided him. Normally, I go up and say hello and all that but you know when someone gives you the eye…
The two men reiterated the point that they just analysed the game and “it’s nothing personal”.
You can watch the podcast here.
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