MICAH RICHARDS has revealed he has quit drinking in an effort to lose weight following a back injury.The former Manchester City and England defender-turned pundit revealed on The Rest is Football podcast with Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker that he had also had an epidural injection.GettyMicah Richards has revealed he has quit drinking in order to lose weight[/caption]SplashHe revealed he had an epidural following a back injury[/caption]During a playful exchange on the show, Newcastle icon Shearer said: “He’s in your front lounge, I sense red wine later on lads…”Former Match of the Day host Shearer then said: “He’s off the drink! And I opened a really nice bottle as you can see here.”Richards, 37, added: “On a serious note, Al, I’ve put on too much timber.”Shearer, 55, could not resist the chance to tell a joke at Richards’ expense, replying: “I was beginning to think that actually myself, I was thinking that.”But Richards then explained the situation in full, saying: “He’s horrible isn’t he! “What’s happening is that I’m drinking and not going and doing my exercise the next day, I had a problem with my back and had the epidural injection. “So my back’s basically finished, I’ve had epidural now, I’m not drinking and feel great. “I feel like I’ve got more energy.”BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKShearer joked back: “Oh no that’s not a good sign if you’ve got more energy, f***ing hell. Have you not got enough already?”In his playing days Richards was well-known for his incredible physique. It is something he has largely kept up following his career too, adopting the nickname “Big Meeks” after diving into bodybuilding.Fans were previously left stunned by the size of Richards’ biceps, and he is regularly seen wearing close-fitting blazers when he appears on CBS Sports for their coverage of the Champions League.