Right move for great servant Richards

RETIRED Manchester City kit manager and former Latics star Les Chapman has a new job - reporting for the City website. Here’s what he’s been up to this week


I WASN’T surprised that City didn’t make any huge last-minute signings on transfer deadline day.

Though Alvaro Negredo and Micah Richards left the club, overall I think I’d be happy with the strength of the squad for the rest of the season.

Micah was a great servant to City, but he needs games at this stage of his career. Going to Florence will be a great experience for him and will hopefully resurrect his career.

I wasn’t too surprised to see Negredo leave either. He’s had injury problems and hadn’t been in City’s squad this season. But I’ll miss him; he’s a top player and a good lad, a real character around the place.

All this fuss surrounding deadline day makes me think back to my playing days. It’s crazy that clubs seem to be in so much of a rush to do deals on the last day.

The big moves ought to have been worked out over a week or two; but that’s how football is these days. In my day there were no agents - the only real contact in setting up transfers was club to club or manager to manager.

My new job is still going okay, though my planned parachute jump has been delayed. I need a medical certificate, but when I went to Uppermill clinic I found I had been wiped off their records. That’s what happens when you don’t go to a doctor for 32 years! They said they had sent me a form to reregister with them - but I hadn’t lived at that address for 15 years... Anyway, as soon as I get my certificate I’ll be up there in the clouds.

Next week I’m hoping to go to Holland to interview Paul Bosvelt, and I’m planning pieces on Kevin Horlock and Nicky Weaver too.