Micah Richards brands 'crazy' Balotelli 'one of nicest guys ever'

Manchester City defender Micah Richards has revealed that his former teammate and Liverpool's new striker Mario Balotelli is crazy but is one of the nicest guys ever as well.

Richards, who secured a loan move to Serie A side Fiorentina on deadline day after failing to cement his place in City's first team last term, played alongside Balotelli when the Italy International previously turned out for the Etihad stadium outfit.

Despite being involved in a training ground bust-up with the striker in 2011, Richards described his friend Balotelli as crazy but one of the nicest guys ever, and explained that the altercation was nothing more than two players demonstrating a bit too much passion on the pitch, Metroc.o.uk reported.

Richards said that they were playing five-a-side and losing because Balotelli, being Balotelli, was not tracking his runner.

The defender said that he was like, 'Mario, f***'s sake, track your man', but he added that Balotelli started swearing in Italian and waving his hands.

Richards said that he told the striker that he was not in the mood that day, adding that he lost his head and Balotelli lost his and it was just bonkers. He said that one could not get away with anything at City because there were always photographers everywhere.

Balotelli was also involved in a heated coming together with former City manager Roberto Mancini in 2013; an incident that Richards describes was madness.

Richards said that people say it started because of a late challenge but it wasn't that, adding that Mancini wanted to explain something, but Balotelli wasn't interested and then it was just madness.

The defender said that he just left them to it because they were like father and son, rather than manager and player. He added that his favourite Balotelli story is when he went into the school to speak to the bully.