With Chris Richards currently in action in the CONCACAF Gold Cup – where he has helped his nation reach a 10th continental final in the competition's last 13 iterations, against Mexico this upcoming Sunday – the defender is a regular US first-choice international.
The Eagles were back in America over the summer of 2024/25, preparing for the new campaign by visiting Maryland and Florida, welcomed by an ever-growing fanbase both at pre-season fixtures and at events around town and lifting the Stateside Cup.
With success in the Gold Cup this summer, and the World Cup heading to the United States in 2026, the sport is continuing to grow exponentially – and no one knows that better than Richards.
“Football is the quickest growing sport in the US,” Richards told the matchday programme. “Everyone at some point in their lift growing up in the US has played, whether it was when you’re four-years-old or at high school to stay in shape.