But speaking to cpfc.co.uk, the defender admitted to spending some of that precious off-season time eagerly anticipating the return of Selhurst Park matchdays to his schedule.
The Eagles play their first home game of the 2024/25 season against West Ham United this Saturday, with both teams having suffered opening-day defeats.
And speaking ahead of the return of the Premier League season, Richards said: “I think the summer was good to all of us. Whether we had time off or went far in different tournaments, whatever the case was, it was good.
“But at some point in the summer, I caught myself thinking about just playing again at Selhurst again! Just playing with the guys I see every day – I'm really excited for it.
“You think about the memories you make along the way, some of the memories you made during the season just gone – maybe it was on the train up to a game, or maybe it was in a game – and you just think about what memories you want to make this year.”
