“Kids now are seeing people from the same places as them playing on the world’s highest stage, and that’s inspiration,” he says. “I know I was inspired by Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. I think it’s really cool.
"You’ve seen [Mauricio Pochettino's] success in club football,” Richards says. “It’s another sign that US soccer is pushing to better the game. Hiring a manager like Pochettino shows that you’re serious about growing the game.
"We could have gone down the safe route by choosing a potential coach from the MLS, but I think them going for a coach that might turn them down and going for coaches of calibre is very impressive from US Soccer.
“I’m really excited for it – hopefully we can win games and tournaments with him. It's funny, people ask me when I'm playing for a team USA: ‘How far do you think you can go in the World Cup?’ I say I want to win it. Whatever I do, we want to be the best at and we want to win.”
You can read the exclusive feature interview in the matchday programmes, as well as regular notes from manager Oliver Glasner, captain Marc Guehi and Chairman Steve Parish.
Plus, our guest columnists James McArthur and Doc Brown are back to give their unique insight on all things Palace, as well as club historian Ian King's latest pick for his ultimate squad of players to represent Palace over a century of football at Selhurst Park.