Richards has been playing in central midfield as opposed to his usual defensive role, but has thrived - in no small part down to how seriously he takes his preparation.
“I literally got the notice 20 minutes before our team meeting: ‘Chris, you’re going to play in midfield!’" he told the matchday programme. "I was a bit nervous because I’m playing in a top league in the world, out of position.
“My mind’s racing. You’re like: ‘Okay, I only pay attention to centre-backs in training – so how do I press as a holding midfielder? How do I know which players to watch?’ You’re trying to rewire your brain with the few hours you have before playing the game."
Richards describes his desire to learn from several top European midfielders as part of an in-depth feature interview, which includes his love of London life and his experiences playing for Bayern Munich.
You can also hear from Roy Hodgson, Steve Parish, Joel Ward, Doc Brown and many more, plus a look back at the beginning of a glorious time for the club under Steve Coppell - and get your hands on the latest Selhurst Starz playing cards!