Fulham defender Jazz Richards has revealed to getwestlondon that the night he got the better of Chelsea star Eden Hazard changed his life.
After being reduced to a bit part player at Swansea, Richards was sent out on loan to Craven Cottage in January. The Welsh international then played in a European qualifier against Belgium in June and impressively kept Hazard quiet, with Wales winning 1-0.
The performance of Richards gave him a new lease of life that saw him become a wanted man and regain the confidence needed to become a Championship mainstay for the Whites, who offered him a permanent deal.
Full back Richards now admits that he felt a bit of a forgotten man until then.
He explained: “Fulham was the only club that wanted me In January. But after that Wales game there were a few clubs interested. It definitely did my confidence a lot of good. It was difficult to leave the club where I had grown up, but Kit Symons sold Fulham to me.”
The 24-year-old continued; “It was hard to make the breakthrough at Swansea. I would come in and me being young, it was difficult. I would play seven or eight games when I needed to play week in, week out.”
Richards says fate intervened though when he got a late call-up to play Belgium in June.
“I wasn’t meant to be playing that game. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I did well, and it’s gone from there.”
Richards returned to the Whites line-up after injury against Brentford on Saturday and along with his team-mates faces another tough home test against Ipswich tonight.
