Richards gaining pro soccer experience in Germany

When Hoover native Chris Richards picks the red and blue FC Bayern Munich uniform to train with German National Team players, he’s not playing the new FIFA 19 video game. He’s actually hitting the pitch to train at Bayern’s Säbener Strasse training facility.

Richards, a 6-foot-2, 18-year-old center back defender, was placed on a six-month loan to Bayern in July, only three months after signing his first professional soccer contract in the U.S.

“I’m playing with players that people dream of playing with. You play with them on video games. It’s completely different playing with them in person,” Richards said. “It’s been an amazing experience. An eye-opening one as well. I’m one of the few Americans to even make it over to Europe and to be successful in the club. It just so happened to be one of the best clubsin the world.” 

Richards’ journey to Munich, Germany, began more than 10 years ago, playing with the Hoover Soccer Club from the U8 team through U15 team. He played as a freshman at Hoover High School before moving by himself to Houston at 16 to play for the Texans Soccer Club development academy.

“It was tough for me at first. There were a lot of nights I was really asking myself, ‘Was this the life for me? Is this what I wanted to do,’” Richards said. “It took a toll on me at first, but I knew I was there for a reason, so I strapped on my boots and got to it.”

After helping lead Texans Soccer Club to the 2017 Development Academy U-18/19 title, Richards joined FC Dallas’ Development Academy for the 2017-18 season. In April 2018, Richards opted to pass up a full ride to the University of North Carolina, which has made nine Sweet 16 appearances the last 10 years, to sign with FC Dallas as a Major League Soccer Homegrown player. The contract includes an option to attend Southern New Hampshire University online to pursue his degree.

“My family values education a lot, so it was a really big step for me to decide to skip college and sign my first professional contract with Dallas,” Richards said. “It was a really tough decision, but it’s been the best decision of my life, honestly.”

Since signing the homegrown contract, in May, Richards went to Munich for a 10-day training session with Bayern, the most successful German pro football club with 28 national titles and 18 national cups.

Richards made his debut with Bayern’s U-19 team the second week of July as a substitute in a friendly match against Slavia Prague. He quickly worked his way into training with the Bayern pro team and debuted with the senior team in a 3-1 preseason friendly victory over French champions Paris Saint-Germain on July 21, entering the game in the 62nd minute wearing No. 34.

Bayern first-year coach Niko Kovač was impressed and chose to take Richards with the team on the Audi Summer Tour for two matches in the U.S.

“He’s been great. He’s very talented and works very hard. He’s going to grow, and it shows he has a lot of talent. I believe with a lot of work and effort on his part, there is a possibility for him to maybe play here or somewhere else as well,” Kovač told ProSoccerUSA.com after the trip.

Ken and Carrie Richards were in Miami on July 28 to watch when their son started and played the entire game in the International Champions Cup friendly match against English champions Manchester City.

“It was pretty amazing to see my son competing at a high level,” Ken Richards said. “It’s been a whirlwind. So much has happened the last two years. He went from being unknown outside his region to being known worldwide. … I don’t think we dreamed for this to happen this soon. It feels like it’s been a blessing. God’s been with us.”

Richards, who is living in a time zone seven hours ahead of Central Time, said learning a different language and culture was the most difficult adjusting to life in Germany. He said he has picked up the language with the help of a personal language tutor three to four times a week and credits his time in Houston and Dallas for preparing him to live abroad.

“Those years have really helped me grow as a person and as a man. It’s been easy for my transition,” he said.

Since returning to Germany in August, Richards has continued to occasionally train with the senior team, but has worked his way into a starting role with the U-19 team, playing a complete game in his Aug. 18 debut, a 1-0 shutout win. He hit another milestone Sept. 1, netting his first professional goal with a header in a 3-1 win over Hoffenheim.

“Even though I’m on a new team, I want to become a leader, and I’m on my way to being that person for the team. A lot of players look up to me on and off the field. I want to win and leave the place better than I found it,” Richards said. “I want to keep grinding it out with the U-19 team and continue to make my way up the ranks with the professional team and hopefully get some games later in the season.”

Come December at the end of his loan, Richards hopes to return to Hoover for a break before returning to Dallas, unless his loan to Bayern is extended.

“Whether I’m here in Germany or back home in Dallas, I want to get as many professional minutes as I can,” said Richards, who has his eyes set on a MLS team or European roster for 2019. Making the U.S. National Team roster for the 2020 World Cup is his ultimate goal the next two years.