Brighton wonderkid Richards wants more time on the pitch

Richards made his Premier League bow for the Seagulls in their 2-0 defeat to Everton at the Amex Stadium.

He came onto the pitch as a late substitute for Jakub Moder and played the final 17 minutes of the match.

Richards put in a professional display, completing more than 80 per cent of his passes and rarely giving the ball away.

Talking about his Premier League debut, Taylor said: “I was warming up when Billy Reid was calling someone over. I looked at Steven Alzate and Aaron Connolly and said, ‘Look, he is calling you’. But it turned out he was pointing at me.

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“I went to the bench, took off my stuff, and they said, ‘Look, you deserve this.’ I won’t lie, I was nervous when I was going on. I looked around the stadium, and it was like I was playing a Playstation game, but this was for real.

“When I got on the pitch, I did not try and do anything crazy, I just kept it simple, and it was such a good experience.

“I spoke to my family after the game and told them that it was the fastest game I’d ever played in. It showed how hard I have to work to play at that level regularly, but when you have had a taste, you just want more.

His move up to Albion’s first-team squad had restricted his actual time playing football as he is not turning out for the youth sides as much, but the midfielder does not think that it is a bad thing.

Taylor Richards has also played for the club in the League Cup

He said: “It is still a good experience, to be honest. I have never played in the Premier League before.

“So to train with the boys during the week, travel with the team and be on the bench on a matchday. Seeing it all close up, is a very good experience.”

Richards came to Albion from the Manchester City academy in 2019, where he had played alongside the likes of Jadon Sancho, who is now at Manchester United.

Like Sancho, Richards left the Citizens in search of a new challenge, and he says that he had to take the opportunity Albion offered as there was a chance of getting into the first team.

He said: “I did not have to leave because I still had years on my contract. I just felt that I needed a new challenge.

“When I found out that Brighton were interested in me, I was also made aware that I had a chance of breaking into the first-team further down the line.

“That is all I wanted to hear, that if you do well and train well, you’ll be given opportunities.

“But I would not change my time at City for anything. The only thing I would change is probably not taking my opportunity as well as I should have done.

“When you’re in that comfortable environment, you do not always realise what you have and maybe take your foot off the gas a little, but it’s all a learning experience and one I really enjoyed.”

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The midfielder did have time spent training with the Manchester City star-studded first-team squad during his time at the club. Richards, however, was not intimidated by the environment.

He said: “I used to train with the first team when they needed the players, and it was always a good experience.

“I didn’t worry about the players I was training with though. Once I was on the pitch, I could be playing with Kevin De Bruyne one day, then five-a-side in the park with random people the next.

“Football is football to me. Maybe when I got home, I would take a step back and think, ‘Wow, I was training with Kevin today,’ but when I am in the moment, I don’t look at individuals.

“I just want to be better than that person next to me on the pitch.”

Since joining Albion, Richards has had one loan spell away from the club at League One side Doncaster. There he played 48 times and scored 11 goals and assisted five more.