Micah Richards has told Sky Sports and BBC of retirement plan with Roy Keane set to quit first

Micah Richards has pledged to quit punditry in eight years’ time. However, his Sky Sports colleague Roy Keane is set to walk away before then.

Richards has become one of the most recognisable faces in football media since hanging up his boots in 2019. The former England and Manchester City right-back is known for his tireless work rate and appears regularly as a pundit on Sky Sports, the BBC ’s Match of the Day and CBS Sports.

However, the 38-year-old announced in July his plans to step away from punditry by 2034. Richards said he wants to quit within the next eight years to focus on community work in his hometown of Chapeltown, Leeds.

But fellow pundit Keane, a fan favourite on Sky Sports thanks to his no-nonsense analysis, could depart even before him. The Manchester United legend revealed back in August 2024 that he wasn’t planning on being a pundit in ten years’ time.

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If he sticks to his word, the Irishman, 55, would retire before Richards. When celebrating his 53rd birthday on the Stick to Football podcast , Gary Neville asked Keane where he envisions himself being in his life by the time of his 63rd birthday.

"Hopefully, I'll be out of this rat race in about 12 months," Keane said with a smile. "A nice house somewhere, a bit of land, a few animals."

Jamie Carragher then asked the Irishman if he sees himself still working as a football pundit in ten years’ time, which Keane flatly rejected. He said: "Absolutely f**king not. Jesus Christ, you must be joking. I'll struggle for the next 10 months doing this."

Later that year, Keane revealed his intention to relocate overseas within the next few years. During The Overlap On Tour episode in Turin, the midfield icon mentioned a potential move to a country like Switzerland in the foreseeable future.

"In the next couple of years, I reckon I will be moving abroad... putting it out there," he told his colleagues.

When pushed on an exact destination by Carragher, Keane replied: "Do you know what, Switzerland, maybe? Switzerland is beautiful."

Keane, as it stands, is still offering his insights for Sky Sports, with the new Premier League season now underway. He also spent the summer working as a pundit for ITV at the World Cup.

Richards, meanwhile, has other plans. He recently told the Daily Telegraph : "I’ll be out of all this by the time I turn 46. You won’t see me on any mainstream media beyond the 2034 World Cup. That will be the last time I am on the BBC or Sky or CBS. I’ve told them all this and they think I’m joking. I’m not.

"I’ve given so much of my life to football since leaving school at 14. But when the time comes, I want to make a difference to people’s lives at a grassroots level – to help those who need it most, especially young people.