Following his international escapades Richards will now enjoy a break before linking up with his Palace teammates ahead of the new 2025/26 season.
And the centre-back, who played every minute of the Eagles run to FA Cup glory, is still able to bask in the glory of that success.
"People keep asking me what the best part of winning the cup was," he added. I think it was what it meant to the generations of Palace fans. I love winning trophies - who doesn't?
"But I was looking into the crowd and seeing 80-year-old men crying their eyes out because even their parents hadn't seen Palace win a major trophy. That's what meant so much more.
"I have a good friend who works at the (local) store that I love. I've been going there ever since I got to Palace. He said he'd love to take his grandad, who has been a Palace fan since he was a season ticket holder in the '60s, with his dad.
"He asked me for tickets to the semi-final game because his granddad hadn't been in 40 years. I surprised him with two tickets to the final and said, 'Please bring your grandad because we're going to win this today.'
"Maybe at other clubs this stuff goes under the radar. Not at Palace.
"When you do something for the first time, and in the way we did it? It was perfect."