Chris Richards: Bio, Salary, Net worth, Lifestyle, Club and International Career

Christopher Jeffrey Richards is a professional footballer who plays for the Premier League club Crystal Palace. The 25-year-old is a centre-back who could also play as a competent defensive midfielder. Richards recently helped the Eagles win their first-ever silverware in their history. The American had an interesting journey into club football. He earned a move from a non-football-heavy nation to one of Europe’s leading football teams thanks to his talents. On the way were several rejections and financial struggles. Despite the difficulties, Chris Richards made it to the big leagues.

He is a good reader of the game and can judge his tackles to perfection. Thanks to his long strides and reach, he can go toe to toe with multiple pacy wingers. He is quite good with the ball at his feet as well. He established himself as a crucial starter at Premier League level.

Chris Richards Bio

Richards’ development was keenly monitored by the USMNT, who were waiting for a top-class centre-back. He was smoothly upscaled from youth teams into the senior setup. He made himself at home by being an integral part of the defence. He will be looking forward to playing a key role in the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in his home country. Let us take a look at Chris Richards's bio, his family life, playing style, and net worth.

Chris Richards Family and Early Life

Chris Richards was born in Hoover, Alabama, to Ken and Carrie Richards. He is the first of three children to the couple. Richards took up sport at a very young age thanks to his father’s influence. Ken Richards was a basketball player at the college level. He toured Iceland, Bolivia, and Australia as a semi-pro player, building a decent career.

Richards started playing both basketball and football at a young age. His mother Carrie recollected how he used to practice basketball at 6 in the morning before going to school, and then practice football in the evening. As the great depression in 2008 hit the global markets, the Richards family business went down, forcing them into financial despair. Ken compromised on many things but never failed to back his elder son, Chris. The couple struggled to make ends meet for their son, who excelled at the sport. He worked hard and repaid his family’s unwavering faith in him. He is also an inspiration to his younger sister and brother as they look to pursue a career in sport thanks to him.

Playing Style and Strengths

Chris Richards stands at 6’2, a desired height for most centre-backs in the world. Despite looking lanky, he possesses incredible strength. Richards uses his body strength to shield the ball in tight situations. He can outmuscle attackers thanks to his good reach. Getting between the ball and the man using his core strength helps him win so many duels with ease. The defender is blessed with other good physical attributes like pace and leap. He has great strides and often catches up with wingers with ease. He also times his leaps to perfection to win numerous aerials. It becomes a huge asset in both boxes.

Now comes the real part of his defending. Richards is not the one to dive into tackles. He is quite intelligent and reads the game to perfection. He will only commit if it's needed. When he commits, he lunges in cleanly to win nothing but the ball. A good game sense allows him to position himself correctly and cut off numerous passes or crosses into the box. He always ranks high on the ball recoveries and interceptions charts.

Richards is a very good passer of the ball. He has a great diagonal to switch play from one flank to another. He can also comfortably play line breakers to release wingers and strikers. Ball carrying comes naturally to him as he was a midfielder in his youth days. He asks for the ball under high-pressure situations and glides out smoothly to find a safe out ball.

Although a natural right-footer, Richards can play with ease on the left. He was deployed on the left at a very young age and learned to play with his supposed weaker foot. He can comfortably receive the ball and turn on both feet, making him a valuable asset. This two-footedness allows him to play as a wide centre-back or even full-back at times.

Chris Richards Net Worth

Chris Richards earns a majority of his net worth from his salary. He is building a brand value for himself as well. Recently, the defender has joined the ownership group of his hometown club, Birmingham Legion FC. It indicates he is interested in a business career beyond his footballing days. Chris Richards net worth currently stands at £10 million.

Chris Richards Salary

Here's the complete salary of Chris Richards:

Chris Richards Partner

The shy 25-year-old has kept his personal life very private. He has not been caught by the paparazzi dating a mystery girl yet. We are keeping our eyes on him and will update you when we have the news.

Chris Richards Career

Chris Richards faced a key question very early in his life. He was playing both basketball and football at a very good level. Luckily, his biology chose him. He was 5’9 when he faced the question of which sport he would pick. The height is considered small for basketball, but is just about ideal for a footballer. Keep in mind the fact that Richards was also playing as a central midfielder till he reached 14.

Richards filled in for a teammate as a centre-back in a youth game. He fell in love with the position and made it his own. His growth spurt hit at the right time, and he developed key physical as well as mental qualities. A tour to Argentina for a youth team increased his love for the game and made him choose football forever. However, the journey wasn’t a bed of roses for him.

Club Career

Hailing from a state with little to no football history, Richards had to travel to Texas to pursue a career. He found a trial with the MLS Club FC Dallas thanks to his father’s attempts. However, in a crushing blow, the youngster didn’t cut and was released. This was when he met his coach Eric Quill, who reshaped his career. Eric personally worked with Richards to develop his game as a centre-back and played him there regularly at Texans SC Houston. Impressive performances with the club meant FC Dallas were back again for Richards by offering him another trial. This time, Richards aced it and was accepted by the club’s academy in 2017. A year later, he signed his first professional contract with the club. He was quite fortunate that his club signed a partnership with Bayern Munich very recently.

Richards had the chance of making his debut in his homeland for the legendary club in an International Champions Cup game. He spent the first year with the academy of Bayern Munich under Sebastien Hoeness. The club decided to buy him permanently as they decided he would be a key asset going forward. Richards was signed permanently in the summer of 2019.

He even got a promotion to Bayern’s reserve team, which plays in the third division. Richards played as a right-back in the team that stormed to the league title in the 2019/2020 season. In the same season, he got the chance to make his league debut for Bayern Munich. He racked up a UEFA Super Cup medal and a couple of Super Cup titles with the Bavarian giants.

Richards spent a season and a half on loan at TSG Hoffenheim to build more minutes under his belt. A change in management at Bayern Munich saw no place for Richards, as he was sold to Crystal Palace for €12 million in the summer of 2022. The defender moved to South London after learning German and learning a lot from his first European adventure.

It was not smooth sailing for the American there as he had a sporadic role in the first year. A couple of injuries didn’t help his cause either. When Roy Hodgson was back in the dugout, he started using Richards in midfield again. It helped him get more games, but he was playing out of position.

Richards saved the best for last as he put in a monstrous performance in the finals. Blocks, Clearances, Interceptions, track backs, he had everything in the final, along with an unbreakable spirit. He helped Crystal Palace preserve a clean sheet to win the game 1-0 against Manchester City. It was their first ever silverware and Richards was immediately part of South London club’s folklore.

The defender recently admitted why anyone would think of leaving Crystal Palace as they gear up for their first European Campaign next season. Oliver Glasner wouldn’t make the mistake of starting anyone over Richards again, would he?

International Career

Chris Richards was part of the Olympic Development Program back in his homeland. They helped Richards develop into a star who could realise his potential. It also opened doors for him to attend the MNT Youth National Team Summit Camp, which gathered 153 players from various age levels. Richards impressed the coaches and won a spot in the 2018 U-20 CONCACAF Championship. He was part of the tournament-winning side and kept a clean sheet in the final as a starter.

At the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019, he helped his side win 3-2 against the heavy favourites France. A senior debut wasn’t far away as Gregg Berhalter, the ex-Crystal Palace player, gave him his first cap in 2020. Richards became a regular with the USMNT soon.

His heart broke when he learned that his injury would keep him out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He would've gone to the showpiece event as a starter, but the injury meant he was forced to miss it. The youngster had a little joy when he scored a winner in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final against Canada.

He is now poised to lead the USMNT’s backline during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States of America.

Chris Richards Awards and Achievements

Chris Richards’ debut season at Bayern Munich helped him rack up a UEFA Super Cup trophy and a couple of DFL Supercups. The FA Cup triumph with Crystal Palace in 2025 would be his biggest achievement. He also won a couple of Nations League titles with the USMNT. Individually, he was named on the IFFHS Men’s World Youth (U20) Team in 2020.