He signed as a full-time professional in 1992 and made his debut aged 17 in October of the same year in a 3–1 victory over AFC Bournemouth in a game in which he scored.
[2] Richards moved on loan to promotion-chasing Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 1995, making his debut on 1 April in a 1–0 win at Southend.
A permanent deal was quickly arranged for a fee which was initially £1.3 million but eventually rose to £1.8m once various clauses took effect.
[3] During the 1995–96 season he was elevated to the role of club captain but, in January 1996, he was in a car crash that initially seemed to only leave him with a bruised ankle but later revealed an injured knee and back issues.
In the three seasons Richards was at the Saints, he made 79 appearances in all competitions and found the net seven times, before joining Tottenham Hotspur in September 2001.
[11] Richards never realised his full potential at Tottenham due to persistent injury problems, and never fulfilled his ambition to play for his country.
Joining the teams in the centre circle at Molineux Stadium for a minute's applause before kick-off were his widow Samantha and his two sons Rio and Jaden as well as representatives from his four former clubs (Ledley King for Tottenham, Claus Lundekvam for Southampton, Matt Murray for Wolves, and Mark Lawn for Bradford City), two of his former managers Graham Taylor and Dave Jones, and two former teammates, Don Goodman and James Beattie.