A report in the Birmingham Mail has confirmed that senior figures at Aston Villa are expecting Micah Richards to see out the remaining 18 months of his contract at Villa Park, despite not featuring for the club this season.

Richards has been on the books at Villa Park since the summer of 2015, and has a contract with Villa that is set to run until the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Steve Bruce handed Richards a start in his first game in-charge, way back in October 2016, but since then the 29-year-old has failed to feature in claret and blue, with his only appearances in a matchday squad coming on the bench.

Club officials from Villa Park have confirmed that they expect the former England and Man City right-back to see out the final 18 months of his contract, despite his lack of game-time and being one of the club’s highest earning players.

The report in the Birmingham Mail states that whilst Richards has hardly featured under Bruce, he has been influential in helping some of Villa’s younger players make the transition from the academy to senior football, including the likes of Andre Green and Callum O’Hare.

Richards’ only involvement in a matchday squad this season came in the Carabao Cup defeat to Middlesbrough back in September.

The Verdict

Richards looks unlikely to play again for Villa, and it is perhaps surprising to hear that the club are happy for him to stick around, despite his playing career seemingly over.

The 29-year-old is amongst the highest earners at the club, but is not playing, which makes his situation even more bizarre to people looking in on the club.

However, if Richards is having an impact on the development of the club’s younger players, it can only be seen as a positive.

Aston Villa fans… Let us know your thoughts!