Aston Villa have signed Rico Richards to join their academy.
As reported by Express & Star, Rico Richards has joined the Aston Villa academy, following his release from the youth set up at local rivals West Brom.
If this is a move that comes good, and Richards is able to make a positive impact in the first team at Villa Park, it certainly won’t reflect well on the Baggies.
Richards did make his debut in senior football whilst on the books at the Hawthorns. The 19-year-old made two substitute appearances for West Brom. His first came in a League Cup clash with Arsenal in 2021. He made his Championship bow in March of this year against Hull.
Who is Rico Richards?
The midfielder has plenty of quality and attacking verve. He loves to get forward and has found the back of the net for the England youth teams at under-16 and under-17 level. He has been capped twice by the England under-18 team.
It will almost certainly be a while before Richards sees any first team action at Villa Park though. Unai Emery’s side are still on a high after securing Europa League Conference qualification last season. There is plenty of talent blocking Richard’s path to the pitch. A run out in the Carabao Cup is the youngster’s best bet at this stage.
There is plenty of excitement around his arrival though. Academy manager Mark Harrison, as quoted by the Aston Villa official website, sung the praises of Richards, saying he has “a lot of creative attributes and has an eye for goal. We look forward to working with him and seeing how he will develop.”
