Micah Richards goes wild and runs around studio after Gareth Bale reveals his toughest-ever opponent

A delighted Micah Richards ran around the studio when Gareth Bale revealed his toughest-ever opponent on a recent episode of A League of Their Own.

Firstly, let's go back to December 2012, when this story begins. Bale, who was playing for Spurs at the time, sat down in front of a laptop to answer a number of questions from fans on Twitter.

Here, he would open up about his love for golf, as well as his ideal job if he wasn't a professional footballer – a 400m athlete.

And towards the end of the Q&A session, Bale was asked about his toughest opponent. "He was physically so strong," the Welshman said.

It turns out Bale was talking about then-Manchester City defender Micah Richards, who was, at the time, behind Kyle Walker, Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly in Roy Hodgson's England plans.

Still, Bale was full of praise for the defender. In fact, over a decade later and the subject was brought up again on a recent episode of Sky quiz show A League of Their Own.

Richards, a regular guest on the programme, raised his eyebrow when team captain Jamie Redknapp claimed he and Bale had been playing golf when the former Spurs man said Richards was his toughest opponent.

As the story was being told, Richards almost had to pinch himself at Bale's admission. "You said that?" he said. "Ask that question again. I want to get this on video."

Bale would once again name Micah Richards as his toughest opponent, prompting the 35-year-old CBS pundit to jump off his chair and run around the studio.

Check out the clip below:

Earlier this year, Richards would describe Bale as "a freak of nature" as he named the former Wales international as his toughest opponent.

Speaking to Optus Sport, he said: “He [Bale] kept going and going and going and going. Through the first 20 minutes it was sort of even stevens, but as the game goes over 60 or 70 minutes, I’m starting to tire and he is still able to repeat the same numbers he’s doing in the first 20 minutes of the game. So I’m like, how is this possible?

"He was a freak of nature. He was fast, he was skilful and so fit that he would run up and down and before the end of it you’re just too tired to mark him.

"Playing up against Bale for sure he was the hardest opponent I’ve ever faced, and if it wasn’t for Joe Hart, I think it was first game of the season against Spurs, it would have been 5-0. Bale ripped me to shreds.

“He’s the only person I’ve come off the pitch and thought I never want to face him ever again.”

Image credit: Getty

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