How former Swan Jazz is hitting all the right notes for Bluebirds
AS a product of Swansea City, it’s quite something that Jazz Richards has found himself a home at his former club’s rivals.
Yet, after a start at Cardiff City that suggested anything but, the Wales international has done just that.
At one stage, the 25-year-old seemed all set to be added to the list of mishap moves that the Bluebirds have, sadly, made a habit of.
Signed by Paul Trollope, the then Bluebirds boss had brought Richards to the club as someone who could fit into a system inspired by the national team. He was seen as someone who had proven himself as able to play and play well at wing-back – his tracking of Eden Hazard against Belgium and his assist for Gareth Bale in Cyprus examples of both aspects of his game illustrated perfectly in the qualifying campaign.
First the system went, then so too Trollope. By the time Neil Warnock arrived at the club, an injury problem that perplexed the new manager in how long it was taking the former Fulham man to recover from only added to the suspicion that Richards and Cardiff wasn’t going to happen.
And that’s before mentioning what could be seen as the extra burden as having to win over fans who know only too well your background.
Yet, on Tuesday, Richards was Cardiff’s stand-out performer in the 1-1 draw with Blackburn. Warnock has gone from rolling his eyes at mentioning Richards’ name because of his nagging injury problems, to repeating praise of his efforts.
Tomorrow, he will make the 100th league start of his career when, as expected, he takes up a now regular place in the Bluebirds’ line-up.
He is four short from making his most league outings in a season (22) having made his debut more than seven years ago.
And, in doing so, he will add to a tally of 10 starts in a row – more than he has managed at Swansea, Fulham or on loan spells at Huddersfield and Crystal Palace.
Now wonder he is beginning to feel at home.
It’s telling in his performances, Richards accepting that he’s rarely had this kind of chance to illustrate a talent that combines defensive awareness and a calmness and good technique on the ball, befitting his early days as a midfielder.
“I had a good first-half of the season last year at Fulham, but fell out of the squad for whatever reason,” he says in agreement. “But I feel comfortable at this club now with a good group of lads, a good manager, good training facilities; it’s home and I feel comfortable here and I feel a lot happier.”
Richards is referring more to being back in south Wales after his time in south London when he speaks of home, but the fact he is settled is obvious. Three months ago, as Warnock bemoaned his absence, you wondered and worried if that was going to be the case.
Richards, to his credit, took the criticism as it was intended: a manager disappointed that he had yet to see the player even train, even if it did come with the jokey barb that he had “players recover quicker from a broken leg” than the 10-cap playing member of Wales’ Euro 2016 squad had managed to get over a calf issue.
“It wasn’t so much being worried because I knew what I’m capable of and I knew I could show the manager if I had the chance,” Richards reflected after his man-of-the-match showing at Ewood Park where he more than anyone deserved to hold out for the win after clearing two off the line before Derrick Williams’ late strike cancelled out Kenneth Zohore’s first-half opener.
“It was more frustration that the injury came when it did because when new managers come in and players are in the side it’s hard to get back in the team, but he took that punt on me and thankfully I’ve been able to do the job.
“I was out for two months during that transition of Paul Trollope going and the new manager coming in, so he didn’t even see me train. When I came back he put me in the team, so he must have seen something in me, and I’ve stayed here and I want to stay here for the rest of the season.”
And beyond; the man who has been part of two promotion-winning squads (Swansea in 2011 and Palace in 2013) is well aware of what is needed at Cardiff going forward and that Warnock is assessing those good enough to be part of it.
It is doubtful any Cardiff fan would grumble at Richards remaining a reguKENNETH
lar, regardless of his background that would understandably suggest that he had more to prove in a new blue shirt than most.
“It was a bit difficult at the beginning of the season, but that’s all gone now,” he says. The incident when there was a fuss over whether he ignored calls to ‘do the Ayatollah’ or not early in the season is not mentioned, but presumably all part of that early settling in period as a Bluebird.
“It was important for me to put all the noise to one side and just concentrate on what I can do. It’s not something I thought about or looked into. When I was at Swansea I never had anything against Cardiff so I didn’t see any point in taking anything to heart or letting things getting on top of you, I just brushed it all aside and got on with it.
“It was more people around me, people close to me asking questions about it all, but I just didn’t want to know. I wanted to come in and perform and I think people have accepted me.
“And I think the fans are quite happy with me, I’m concentrating on my football and trying to get better with every game.”
Any questions of commitment are simply unfounded. Anyone at Blackburn could see that. Anyone who realises the determination of a player keen to play and live up to potential – as well as earn a place back in the Wales squad later this month – should know that.
“It took a while to settle, but I think I’ve got a lot more to show, I’m nowhere near my full potential,” he added. “At the beginning of the season I was up and down and then I got injured, but coming back...I’ve played left back, but I’m a lot more comfortable playing right back and I will just keep going and hopefully finish the season strongly.
“We all know there’s the possibility of new players coming in, so you want to play and do your best and impress ready for that.”