Pearce squashes move

Stuart Pearce has temporarily squashed the Latics chances of cashing in on any Micah Richards move away from Manchester City. Although Richards still has two years to run on his current contract, Pearce has handed the youngster a new four-year deal which should keep him at Eastlands until the summer of 2010.

The news means that the significant sell on clause as part of the deal that took Richards from Boundary Park will go on the shelf, for now at least. Rumours were around that several Premiership clubs were interested in Micah and a figure of £9m was reputedly offered by West Ham United.