“I’m very happy that I came here” Wolverhampton outcast who left in summer Transfer reveal a MOVE out of Molineux Stadium has been a good call.
Lewis Richards appears set for an extended run in Bradford City’s first team as left wing-back.
With Tyreik Wright, his main competition for the role, sidelined for at least two months due to a serious quad injury, Richards now has a clear path to prove his worth in that position. Many Bantams supporters have called on manager Graham Alexander to bring in a new left wing-back in January, but the next couple of months will give Richards an ideal opportunity to show that signing another player may not be necessary.
While Wright’s injury is unfortunate, it highlights Richards’ wise decision to leave Premier League side Wolves at just 21 last August. He’s on the brink of his 50th appearance for City—an achievement he likely wouldn’t have reached yet if he had stayed at Wolves, waiting for a first-team opportunity.
Richards shared his thoughts with the T&A: “I’m very happy that I came here. What you get from the fans at City, you just wouldn’t get that playing Under-23s football. With the size of this club, it was a massive opportunity last year. You’d be silly to turn it down in my opinion.”
Coming off the bench to assist Andy Cook’s goal against Doncaster, Richards made a strong impression. Now, with Wright’s injury, he’s expected to start against Fleetwood tomorrow. Despite Fleetwood’s 15th place standing, Richards emphasized that the Bantams are focused on their own game rather than the opposition. “We’re very much focused on ourselves. The players we’ve got in this team, and the squad depth we have, whoever is selected is good enough to help us win a game of football.”
Bradford has been in good form, with only five losses in 18 matches across all competitions. Currently sitting seventh in League Two, the Bantams are aiming for a strong finish in the play-offs or even automatic promotion. Reflecting on the season, Richards admitted, “I do feel like we’ve dropped points in the league at times. But all we can do now is just keep pushing on from here. It’s all about trying to go higher up the table and finishing in the best position we can.”
Looking ahead, Richards also commented on City’s upcoming FA Cup second-round match at Morecambe, marking their second visit there this season after a 1-1 draw last month. Richards believes that game can serve as a useful reference, saying, “The second half of that game last month we played a lot better than we did in the first. How we finished that match is how we want to start in the FA Cup game there.”