Micah Richards has hailed his Manchester City teammate Mario Balotelli's contribution to the side's season so far.

The defender also insists that the Italian doesn't get the recognition he deserves for his performances.

The striker put in another impressive display in the Blues' 2-1 win over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday and Richards praised his contribution to City's first goal.

"It was just great for Mario that he played a big part in the first goal. It's nice to have him back after his suspension," Richards told the Manchester Evening News.

"He's become a key part of the team. A lot of people don't really talk about what he does on the field as much as they should.

"We know he's a massive player for us and he showed that."

Balotelli has hit the headlines throughout his short career at the Etihad Stadium for his antics off the field.