Richards on his journey to becoming a leader

First-team

10 Jul 2025

Chris Richards believes his experience with the USMNT – combined with his outstanding year with Palace – has transformed him into a natural leader on the pitch.

Although Richards' goal was not enough for co-hosts United States to win the final, with the USMNT going down 2-1 to Mexico, the Palace defender was outstanding throughout the finals.

The defender played close to every minute across their six games at the finals and also scored the winning goal against Saudi Arabia in the group stage.

Although he wasn't able to add an international winners' medal to this FA Cup one, the finals have still proved a valuable experience for the defender.

In fact, Richards has now found his voice as one of the figureheads in his national team.

"Honestly, I'm just me," Richards told GOAL. "It's not something where I have to step out of myself and do extra. I'm myself, but just a little bit more vocal.

"I've also gotten to a point where I can just be a leader and be more vocal rather than letting a captain do it. There can be three or four captains on the field. That's what makes a great team - more than one guy stepping up to the plate.

"I understand I'm a leader and I want to act like it. Regardless of who's on the team at the World Cup next year, I still want to be that person.

"I'm going to earn my spot, but I'm also going to try and be captain or whatever the case may be. That's been my No. 1 goal throughout this [Gold Cup] camp."

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."

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