Chris Richards – 20 years old
After making his Bundesliga debut at the end of last season, 20-year-old defender Chris Richards has continued edging his way onto the field for reigning Champions League winners Bayern Munich, making three competitive appearances already this season.
The latest breakthrough came on Sunday, when Richards earned his first competitive start for the club in a wild 4-3 win against Hertha Berlin. Naturally a center back, the Alabama-born defender has found his way on the field thus far as a right back and showed Sunday how well he could deputize there.
Richards began the play leading to Robert Lewandowski’s opener in the 40th minute, before later providing his first career assist to the Polish ace in the 51st.
With a first Bundesliga start now under his belt, Richards will work towards a Champions League debut for the six-time UCL winners. Of note, Richards is eligible for the Champions League after being named to Bayern’s “B-List” squad, which is made up of players under the age of 21, and who have been at their club for an uninterrupted period of two years.
To be eligible for a Champions League matchday roster, Richards would only need to be added to the A-List up to 24 hours before a match. More on the “B-List” rules here.
Bayern open up Group A play against Atlético Madrid on Oct. 21. They’re also joined by Red Bull Salzburg, who are managed by former USMNT assistant coach Jesse Marsch, and Lokomotiv Moscow.
