USMNT center back Chris Richards is voted Crystal Palace’s Player of the Month for January

Up-and-coming United States centre-back Chris Richards has continued his rapid rise in the Premier League by receiving Crystal Palace’s Player of the Month award in January.

The 22-year-old Richards joined the Eagles in the summer of 2022 but struggled to secure a starting job in the first half of this season.

He also missed the World Cup in Qatar through injury, and seemed to be down the pecking order in south London until Joachim Andersen’s injury earlier this month.

Richards was then given the chance to prove himself at the heart of the defense and quickly shone, starting against Manchester United and Newcastle in Palace’s last two games.

Despite only appearing in two of the team’s five games, he has been awarded Player of the Month, playing 90 minutes in both games, which ended in a draw.

Speaking to Palace TV about the award, he said: “My first two start this month, it means a lot to the fans to vote me Player of the Month.”

“I was a bit nervous about having my first start against a team like Man Utd in the form they are in, but I think I did very well and I held my own.”

‘It’s good to learn [Marc Guehi], even though we are the same age, it seems like he has a lot of experience under his belt. It’s good to learn from him and play together with him and merge our relationship.

‘[The Premier League is] competitive. Each team has better players, last in the league or first. It’s just about taking our A game every time and staying focused for 90+ [minutes].’

Richards took 53.9 per cent of the vote and cruised to victory ahead of Michael Olise, despite the teammate’s last-minute equalizer against United.

The Alabama-born defenseman now hopes he can keep his spot on the Palace defense and earn a starting job for the USMNT in the coming months.