Aston Villa debut must be on cards for Rico Richards v Middlesbrough after what he has done
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery may be tempted to rest a few of his star players for their upcoming FA Cup clash with Middlesbrough and that could present a chance for talented academy star Rico Richards.
Richards has impressed a great deal since joining Villa Park on the expiration of his contract at West Brom in the summer with his performances for the under-21s.
The 20-year-old was initially signed for the reserves with a view for him to graduate to the first team and given his stellar progress and development, that may not be too far away.
Lining up as a midfielder by trade, the Englishman has enjoyed success playing on the flanks for the Baggies as well.
Richards is known to possess tremendous skill and dribbling qualities, devastating unpredictability in the final third and an eye for a pass that so few of his under-21 teammates can match.
And it was all on show for Aston Villa fans to see in a recent Football League Trophy clash against Crawley on 7 November.
Richards was the pick of the players in the game in an incredibly polished display, despite his team ending up losing 3-2.
The 20-year-old scored a goal and provided an assist – involving himself in both goals for his side.
According to Sofascore, he enjoyed a 100 per cent success rate with his dribbling – completing four of his attempted four take-ons.
He was very precise and sharp with his passing as well – misplacing just two of them with an accuracy of 87 per cent.
Two of the passes he completed were categorised as key passes so it’s not like he only played it safe which racked up his accuracy figures.
He also put in a tremendous shift off the ball – something that Emery would’ve admired a great deal – and may want to give him a chance in the first team with their FA Cup clash at the Riverside Stadium on the horizon.
Richards won five out of his seven ground duels and enjoyed a 50 per cent success rate with aerial duels as well.
He also made two clearances and an interception so he was there in the defensive third to mop up and ensure that his side did not concede too many goals.
There’s always the opportunity at Villa Park to unearth the next Jacob Ramsey and the Villans certainly already possess that in Richards, there’s the case to argue that he is arguably the more well-rounded player in terms of final third creation.
Aston Villa gave way too much away in terms of academy sales over the summer window with the likes of Ramsey’s brother Aaron, Jaden Philogene, and Cameron Archer all seeking pastures new.
That buck has simply got to stop and there’s no better way to quash it than seeing what Richards can do with the first team soon enough.
Four goals and two assists from 11 appearances for the under-21s certainly suggest he is ready for a taste of the first-team limelight and that must be against Michael Carrick’s team on Saturday (6 January), surely.
In other Aston Villa news, a doctor delivered a new verdict on Tyrone Mings.