Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates can’t wait to see Omar Richards in action on the pitch for the Reds this season. The defender didn’t play a single minute last season, suffering from a fractured leg and a hernia problem in the same campaign.
Yates was speaking to The Athletic after Saturday’s 1-0 win over Notts County. The midfielder captained the Reds in the second half as Hwang Ui-jo scored the game’s only goal.
Richards wasn’t in the squad. He’s been training with the senior ranks on the grass and is expected to make an appearance for the Reds at some point during their trip to Spain.
The 25-year-old was signed by Forest from Bayern Munich last summer. Shortly after he arrived, it was announced that the player had an injury that wasn’t detected during the medical.
Richards does have experience in England. He moved to the Bundesliga champions from Reading where he made 104 appearances after coming through their youth ranks.
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Yates can remember coming up against the left-back for Forest. He’s already been very impressed with him and can’t wait for him to be proving his worth to the Fores team.
He told The Athletic: “I can remember playing Reading in those games and thinking, ‘Wow, what a player he is’.
“He is such a good guy and we all know how good he is. If he is as good on the pitch as he is as a person, he will be a really good player for us.
“He’s very chilled out, genuine, down to earth. Omar definitely deserves some luck.”
Yates can’t wait to see what Richards can offer Forest
Richards could provide Forest with a boost at a decent time. The Reds want to strengthen a number of areas this summer and perhaps the defender can be like a new signing.
Curiously, Yates has only played against Richards for 15 minutes. The Forest man was sent off as the Reds lost 2-0 to Reading in 2020.
Clearly, he’s seen enough though. He will be doing his best as the club’s vice-captain to help Richards get back to full fitness and back in the team.
The player could have so much to offer Forest. Richards made 17 appearances for Bayern Munich and that alone should tell Forest fans that he’s capable of proving a decent player on his day.