Marc Richards
Encyclopedia
Marc John Richards is an English
professional footballer who plays as striker. He is the captain of League Two
side Port Vale
.
A youth team player at Hednesford Town
, he turned professional at Blackburn Rovers
in 2000. He spent the 2001–02 season on loan at Crewe Alexandra
, Oldham Athletic
, and Halifax Town
. He then spent much of the 2002–03 season on loan at Swansea City
before he was allowed to join Northampton Town
in summer 2003. He scored eleven goals for the club in 2003–04, though was used sent out on loan to Rochdale
in the latter half of the 2004–05 campaign after he found himself struggling with injury. He joined Barnsley
in August 2005, and went on to score twelve goals in 2005–06, helping the club win promotion to the Championship
. Released at the end of the 2006–07 season, he signed with Port Vale in June 2007. After five goals in 2007–08, he became the club's top-scorer for three seasons running with 11 goals in 2008–09, 22 goals in 2009–10, and 20 goals in 2010–11.
Overall he has scored more than 100 goals in over 350 professional appearances. He has also represented England at under-18
and England under-20
levels.
, but was on the books of Conference
side Hednesford Town
before moving to Ewood Park
. He made his Rovers debut in a League Cup
tie against West Ham United
in October 2000.
He had a loan spell with Crewe Alexandra
at the start of the 2001–02 season, where he scored his first career goal against York City
in the League Cup. He then went on loan to Oldham Athletic
in October 2001 in another one month spell, scoring once against Tranmere Rovers
in the Football League Trophy
. He also spent two months on loan at Halifax Town
from February 2002.
In November 2002, he went out to Swansea City
on loan for the rest of the season. After discovering he was released from his contract at Blackburn in April 2003, Richards aimed to sign with Swansea permanently, but instead signed a two year deal with Northampton Town
.
. Struggling with illness, he scored in the play-off
semi-finals against Mansfield Town
, though his side crashed out on penalties.
His second season at Sixfields Stadium
was one blighted by injury. Picking up a knee injury in September 2004, he had recovered by November, but after making his return he ruptured his knee ligament, keeping him out of action for a further three months. In March 2005 he was returning to fitness, and so was loaned out Rochdale
to aid with his recovery. After two goals in five games he returned to the "Cobblers". Finding out he had no future at Northampton, he had a trial with Bristol Rovers
, before joining Barnsley
in August 2005.
" by Barnsley manager Andy Ritchie, his initial deal was short-term, so after fitting in well at the club he was offered an extension to his contract in December 2005. In 2005–06, Barnsley were promoted to the Championship
through the play-offs
. Though he did not make the final, he played 41 of the "Tykes" 46 league games during the campaign.
In January 2007, he was due to sign with Port Vale
, in part-exchange for Leon Constantine
. However he remained at Oakwell after the deal fell through. He was released from his contract in May 2007, despite making 37 appearances in the 2006–07 season.
on a two year deal. He became the club captain and quickly established himself as one of the club's better players. Richards suffered with an ankle
injury during the 2007–08 season
. He recovered towards the end of the season and began to find his goalscoring form once again, though this was not enough to save the club from relegation
out of League One
. At the end of the season the club were forced to accept a £100,000 bid from Cheltenham Town
due a release clause in his contract, though Chairman Bill Bratt
rated him as a £300,000 player. Turning down the chance of a move, he instead signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Vale Park
until the summer of 2010. He went though a spell of injuries and suspensions during the 2008–09 season
which caused him to miss almost twenty matches for the "Valiants". An Achilles
injury picked up in late March kept him out of the team for the rest of the season. Despite this his eleven goals made him the club's top scorer.
He lost the captain's armband in the 2009–10
season to new signing Tommy Fraser
, Richards being made vice-captain. However this did not seem to affect him in a negative way as he scored in Micky Adams
' first game in charge on 8 August, a 1–1 draw with Rochdale
. Three days later he struck twice against Championship
side Sheffield United
to give the "Valiants" a shock 2–1 giant-killing victory in the League Cup
First Round
. With a winning goal over Darlington
the following weekend he took his tally to four goals in five games. He was transfer listed in late September, along with the entire Port Vale squad, after manager Micky Adams
saw his team slip to a third consecutive defeat. Despite five goals in his first fourteen games of the season, Richards was targeted by the 'boo-boys' at Vale Park
after a few weak performances. He claimed to be 'gutted' by the fan's lack of faith in his commitment.
The striker found his scoring form by the season's mid-way point. He managed to equal his previous season best tally of twelve goals by January 2010. Despite this he told the press that he did not take a fresh contract in May for granted. Following these words to the press by the player, Adams insisted that he would offer Richards a new contract. On 13 March Richards scored his first professional hat-trick
in six years, during a 5–0 win over Chesterfield
at Saltergate. He finished the campaign with a tally of 23 goals – more than double his tally for the previous season, and was the club's top scorer for the second consecutive season. Richards was eager to stay at the club. He was offered a new contract by the club, which Adams was confident Richards would sign. Despite a lucrative offer from Carlisle United
and interest from numerous League One and Scottish Football League
sides, Richards signed the contract to keep him at Vale Park until the summer of 2012.
Before the start of the 2010–11
season, Richards set himself a target of thirty goals, quickly establishing a deadly strike partnership with new teammate, namesake Justin Richards
. Sent off against Burton Albion
at the start of January 2011, more damaging to Richards' golden boot hopes and Vale's promotion ambitions was news that he would be sidelined for six weeks with muscle tear in his thigh. With Fraser and Adams leaving the club, new boss Jim Gannon
handed Richards the captaincy in February 2011. On 26 February, he marked his return from injury with a goal against Aldershot Town
in a 2–1 win – his first goal in three months. On 29 March he scored his 100th career goal, helping Vale to beat Lincoln City
2–1. After hitting the twenty goal mark at the penultimate game of the season, Richards become the first Vale player to score twenty goals for two seasons running since Martin Foyle
in 1993–94
and 1994–95
.
Despite only turning 29 weeks before the start of the 2011–12
season, the departure of namesake Justin Richards left him as the club's most senior professional. After scoring on the opening day against Crawley Town
, Richards then spent a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury. He made his return to the starting eleven against Plymouth Argyle
on 10 September, only to end up with a straight red card and three match ban for an incident with Warren Feeney
, an incident the striker described as 'handbags'. He returned to the first team on 1 October for only his fourth appearance of the campaign, and bagged both of Vale's goals against Rotherham United
. However after a further six games he was sidelined again due to a recurrence of his ankle injury.
and under-20
levels. He scored in an under-20 international friendly
against Finland on 76 minutes, after coming on as a substitute for Arsenal
's John Halls
on 57 minutes.
for Port Vale
.
and Paul Reid were arrested on suspicion of assault
; however all three players were released without charge by South Yorkshire Police
and the club made the following statement: "After an internal investigation the club found all three players had done no wrong and this was confirmed when the police formally dropped the matter without action."
Richards has two children. He describes himself as a "laid-back guy". He won Soccer AM
's Crossbar Challenge at Vale Park
in 2009.
|2000–01||Blackburn Rovers
||First Division
||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
|2001–02
||Blackburn Rovers
||Premier League||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2001–02||Crewe Alexandra
||First Division
||4||0||0||0||1||1||5||1
|-
|2001–02||Oldham Athletic
||Second Division
||5||0||0||0||0||0||6||1
|-
|2001–02||Halifax Town
||Third Division
||5||0||0||0||0||0||5||0
|-
|2002–03
||Blackburn Rovers
||Premier League||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
|2002–03||Swansea City
||Third Division
||17||7||0||0||0||0||17||7
|-
|2003–04||Northampton Town
||Third Division
||41||8||4||2||1||0||52||11
|-
|2004–05||Northampton Town
||League Two
||12||2||0||0||1||0||14||2
|-
|2004–05||Rochdale
||League Two
||5||2||0||0||0||0||5||2
|-
|2005–06||Barnsley
||League One
||38||12||5||0||1||0||48||12
|-
|2006–07||Barnsley
||Championship
||31||6||2||0||0||0||33||6
|-
|2007–08
||Port Vale
||League One
||29||5||1||0||1||0||32||5
|-
|2008–09
||Port Vale
||League Two
||30||10||2||1||1||0||34||11
|-
|2009–10
||Port Vale
||League Two
||46||19||3||0||3||2||54||22
|-
|2010–11
||Port Vale
||League Two
||40||16||2||2||2||0||46||20
|-
|2011–12
||Port Vale
||League Two
||10||6||0||0||0||0||10||6
|-
313||94||19||5||14||3||363||107
313||94||19||5||14||3||363||107
Notes:
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
professional footballer who plays as striker. He is the captain of League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
.
A youth team player at Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
, he turned professional at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in 2000. He spent the 2001–02 season on loan at Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
, and Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
. He then spent much of the 2002–03 season on loan at Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
before he was allowed to join Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
in summer 2003. He scored eleven goals for the club in 2003–04, though was used sent out on loan to Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
in the latter half of the 2004–05 campaign after he found himself struggling with injury. He joined Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
in August 2005, and went on to score twelve goals in 2005–06, helping the club win promotion to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Released at the end of the 2006–07 season, he signed with Port Vale in June 2007. After five goals in 2007–08, he became the club's top-scorer for three seasons running with 11 goals in 2008–09, 22 goals in 2009–10, and 20 goals in 2010–11.
Overall he has scored more than 100 goals in over 350 professional appearances. He has also represented England at under-18
England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
and England under-20
England national under-20 football team
- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
levels.
Blackburn Rovers
Richards started his professional career at Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, but was on the books of Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
before moving to Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. He made his Rovers debut in a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
tie against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in October 2000.
He had a loan spell with Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
at the start of the 2001–02 season, where he scored his first career goal against York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
in the League Cup. He then went on loan to Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
in October 2001 in another one month spell, scoring once against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. He also spent two months on loan at Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
from February 2002.
In November 2002, he went out to Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
on loan for the rest of the season. After discovering he was released from his contract at Blackburn in April 2003, Richards aimed to sign with Swansea permanently, but instead signed a two year deal with Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
.
Northampton Town
It took 29 games before he bagged his first league goal for the "Cobblers". The goal finally came on 17 February 2004, in a 2–1 win at DarlingtonDarlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
. Struggling with illness, he scored in the play-off
Football League Two play-offs
The Football League Two play-offs are a series of play-off matches, contested by the teams finishing from 4th to 7th in the Football League Two table to determine the fourth promotion place to the third tier of English football, League One. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 7th playing...
semi-finals against Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
, though his side crashed out on penalties.
His second season at Sixfields Stadium
Sixfields Stadium
Sixfields Stadium is a 7,653-capacity all-seater sports stadium in Northampton, England. It has been the home ground of Northampton Town Football Club following their move from the County Ground in October 1994....
was one blighted by injury. Picking up a knee injury in September 2004, he had recovered by November, but after making his return he ruptured his knee ligament, keeping him out of action for a further three months. In March 2005 he was returning to fitness, and so was loaned out Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
to aid with his recovery. After two goals in five games he returned to the "Cobblers". Finding out he had no future at Northampton, he had a trial with Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
, before joining Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
in August 2005.
Barnsley
Described as "a young Neil ShipperleyNeil Shipperley
Neil Jason Shipperley is a retired English professional footballer, who played as a centre-forward. He is the former manager of Walton Casuals of the Isthmian League Division One South....
" by Barnsley manager Andy Ritchie, his initial deal was short-term, so after fitting in well at the club he was offered an extension to his contract in December 2005. In 2005–06, Barnsley were promoted to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
through the play-offs
Football League One play-offs
The Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
. Though he did not make the final, he played 41 of the "Tykes" 46 league games during the campaign.
In January 2007, he was due to sign with Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, in part-exchange for Leon Constantine
Leon Constantine
Leon Charles Constantine is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Isthmian League side Lewes. A journeyman of lower league English football, he has had fifteen separate spells at fourteen different clubs within the space of just ten years...
. However he remained at Oakwell after the deal fell through. He was released from his contract in May 2007, despite making 37 appearances in the 2006–07 season.
Port Vale
In June 2007, Richards joined Port ValePort Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
on a two year deal. He became the club captain and quickly established himself as one of the club's better players. Richards suffered with an ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
injury during the 2007–08 season
2007–08 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2007–08 season was Port Vale's ninety-sixth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League One. Vale finished second-from-bottom, and were relegated, some twelve points from safety. Manager Martin Foyle left the club in September, and Lee Sinnott failed to...
. He recovered towards the end of the season and began to find his goalscoring form once again, though this was not enough to save the club from relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
out of League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. At the end of the season the club were forced to accept a £100,000 bid from Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
due a release clause in his contract, though Chairman Bill Bratt
Bill Bratt
William Amos "Bill" Bratt MBE is the former chairman of Port Vale Football Club, who served the club in this post from 2003 to 2011....
rated him as a £300,000 player. Turning down the chance of a move, he instead signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
until the summer of 2010. He went though a spell of injuries and suspensions during the 2008–09 season
2008–09 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-seventh season of football in the Football League, and first season in League Two, following their relegation from League One. After a poor start to the season manager Lee Sinnott was sacked in September, and was replaced by Dean Glover. Despite a brief...
which caused him to miss almost twenty matches for the "Valiants". An Achilles
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury picked up in late March kept him out of the team for the rest of the season. Despite this his eleven goals made him the club's top scorer.
He lost the captain's armband in the 2009–10
2009–10 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-eighth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in League Two. Micky Adams received plaudits for his first full season in charge. He took a squad of players that had previously been near the bottom of the division and made...
season to new signing Tommy Fraser
Tommy Fraser
Thomas Francis Peter "Tommy" Fraser is a professional footballer, who is without a club having departed Barnet in November 2011. A central midfielder, he can also play on the right wing....
, Richards being made vice-captain. However this did not seem to affect him in a negative way as he scored in Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
' first game in charge on 8 August, a 1–1 draw with Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
. Three days later he struck twice against Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
to give the "Valiants" a shock 2–1 giant-killing victory in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
First Round
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....
. With a winning goal over Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
the following weekend he took his tally to four goals in five games. He was transfer listed in late September, along with the entire Port Vale squad, after manager Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
saw his team slip to a third consecutive defeat. Despite five goals in his first fourteen games of the season, Richards was targeted by the 'boo-boys' at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
after a few weak performances. He claimed to be 'gutted' by the fan's lack of faith in his commitment.
The striker found his scoring form by the season's mid-way point. He managed to equal his previous season best tally of twelve goals by January 2010. Despite this he told the press that he did not take a fresh contract in May for granted. Following these words to the press by the player, Adams insisted that he would offer Richards a new contract. On 13 March Richards scored his first professional hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in six years, during a 5–0 win over Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
at Saltergate. He finished the campaign with a tally of 23 goals – more than double his tally for the previous season, and was the club's top scorer for the second consecutive season. Richards was eager to stay at the club. He was offered a new contract by the club, which Adams was confident Richards would sign. Despite a lucrative offer from Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
and interest from numerous League One and Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
sides, Richards signed the contract to keep him at Vale Park until the summer of 2012.
Before the start of the 2010–11
2010–11 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Port Vale's ninety-ninth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League Two. Vale enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, looking like good prospects for promotion. However Micky Adams left the club in December to take charge of Sheffield...
season, Richards set himself a target of thirty goals, quickly establishing a deadly strike partnership with new teammate, namesake Justin Richards
Justin Richards (footballer)
Justin Donovan Richards is an English footballer who plays for League Two side Burton Albion. A striker, he has a tally of around one goal every three games, playing in the Conference and lower reaches of the Football League...
. Sent off against Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
at the start of January 2011, more damaging to Richards' golden boot hopes and Vale's promotion ambitions was news that he would be sidelined for six weeks with muscle tear in his thigh. With Fraser and Adams leaving the club, new boss Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...
handed Richards the captaincy in February 2011. On 26 February, he marked his return from injury with a goal against Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
in a 2–1 win – his first goal in three months. On 29 March he scored his 100th career goal, helping Vale to beat Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
2–1. After hitting the twenty goal mark at the penultimate game of the season, Richards become the first Vale player to score twenty goals for two seasons running since Martin Foyle
Martin Foyle
Martin John Foyle is an English former footballer, turned football manager. In his 20 year playing career he played 533 League games, scoring 155 goals...
in 1993–94
1993–94 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1993–94 season was Port Vale's eighty-second season of football in the Football League, and fifth successive season in the Second Division. They won promotion to the First Division as the division's runners-up, just one point away from champions Reading...
and 1994–95
1994–95 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1994–95 season was Port Vale's eighty-third season of football in the Football League, and first ever season in the First Division following their promotion from the Second Division. John Rudge led his team to safety in the league, whilst reaching the Second Round of the FA Cup and League Cup...
.
Despite only turning 29 weeks before the start of the 2011–12
2011–12 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Port Vale's one-hundredth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come...
season, the departure of namesake Justin Richards left him as the club's most senior professional. After scoring on the opening day against Crawley Town
Crawley Town F.C.
Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
, Richards then spent a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury. He made his return to the starting eleven against Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
on 10 September, only to end up with a straight red card and three match ban for an incident with Warren Feeney
Warren Feeney
Warren Feeney is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Plymouth Argyle as a forward. He is the third generation of his family to have been capped at international level by Northern Ireland, after his father Warren and his grandfather Jim.-Early career:Feeney, who comes from a particularly...
, an incident the striker described as 'handbags'. He returned to the first team on 1 October for only his fourth appearance of the campaign, and bagged both of Vale's goals against Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
. However after a further six games he was sidelined again due to a recurrence of his ankle injury.
International career
He has been capped at England under-18England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
and under-20
England national under-20 football team
- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
levels. He scored in an under-20 international friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Finland on 76 minutes, after coming on as a substitute for Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
's John Halls
John Halls
John Halls is an English footballer who plays for Wycombe Wanderers. He is primarily a right-sided full back but is also capable of playing in midfield and other defensive positions.-Arsenal:...
on 57 minutes.
Style of play
An accomplished set piece taker, he is also a goalscorer from open play and can also hold the ball up well for his teammates. As of November 2011, he has scored 13 of his 17 penaltiesPenalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
for Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
.
Personal life
In March 2007, Richards and Barnsley teammates Brian HowardBrian Howard (footballer)
Brian Richard William Howard is an English footballer who is contracted to Reading and is currently on loan to Millwall in the Football League Championship as a midfielder...
and Paul Reid were arrested on suspicion of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
; however all three players were released without charge by South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing South Yorkshire in England.The police force covers an area of approximately 1,554 square kilometres which is made up of the county's three boroughs , along with the City of Sheffield. The resident population is 1.2...
and the club made the following statement: "After an internal investigation the club found all three players had done no wrong and this was confirmed when the police formally dropped the matter without action."
Richards has two children. He describes himself as a "laid-back guy". He won Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
's Crossbar Challenge at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
in 2009.
Club level
|-|2000–01||Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
|2001–02
2001–02 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season
-Season summary:Blackburn had little time to savour their Worthington Cup glory that resulted from a 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 24 February - they were deep in the relegation mire and occupying third place from bottom...
||Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||Premier League||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2001–02||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||4||0||0||0||1||1||5||1
|-
|2001–02||Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||5||0||0||0||0||0||6||1
|-
|2001–02||Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||5||0||0||0||0||0||5||0
|-
|2002–03
2002–03 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season
* Birmingham-Blackburn 0-1* 0-1 Dwight Yorke * Blackburn-Liverpool 2-2* 1-0 David Dunn * 1-1 Danny Murphy * 1-2 John Arne Riise * 2-2 Corrado Grabbi * Middlesbrough-Blackburn 1-0* 1-0 Joseph-Désiré Job * Blackburn-Chelsea 2-3...
||Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||Premier League||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
|2002–03||Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||17||7||0||0||0||0||17||7
|-
|2003–04||Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||41||8||4||2||1||0||52||11
|-
|2004–05||Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||12||2||0||0||1||0||14||2
|-
|2004–05||Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||5||2||0||0||0||0||5||2
|-
|2005–06||Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||38||12||5||0||1||0||48||12
|-
|2006–07||Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||31||6||2||0||0||0||33||6
|-
|2007–08
2007–08 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2007–08 season was Port Vale's ninety-sixth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League One. Vale finished second-from-bottom, and were relegated, some twelve points from safety. Manager Martin Foyle left the club in September, and Lee Sinnott failed to...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||29||5||1||0||1||0||32||5
|-
|2008–09
2008–09 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-seventh season of football in the Football League, and first season in League Two, following their relegation from League One. After a poor start to the season manager Lee Sinnott was sacked in September, and was replaced by Dean Glover. Despite a brief...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||30||10||2||1||1||0||34||11
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2008–09 season was Port Vale's ninety-eighth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in League Two. Micky Adams received plaudits for his first full season in charge. He took a squad of players that had previously been near the bottom of the division and made...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||46||19||3||0||3||2||54||22
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Port Vale's ninety-ninth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League Two. Vale enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, looking like good prospects for promotion. However Micky Adams left the club in December to take charge of Sheffield...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||40||16||2||2||2||0||46||20
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Port Vale's one-hundredth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||10||6||0||0||0||0||10||6
|-
313||94||19||5||14||3||363||107
313||94||19||5||14||3||363||107
Notes:
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
& play-off results included in totals.
under-20 caps
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
Caps Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Scored Location Cards 01 (01) 2002-03-13 Euxton Training Ground, Bolton BoltonBolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
3–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
1 
External links
- Profile at the official Port Vale site