Taking David Alaba route is best case scenario but there are other routes, admits Chris Richards
USMNT and Bayern Munich star Chris Richards believes that the best route for him to thrive with the Bavarian giants is to take the same route David Alaba did almost a decade ago. The Austrian signed for Bayern at a young age and then left on loan for Hoffenheim, thriving for the club on his return.
When David Alaba first signed for Bayern Munich, the defender was barely 17 years old and thus struggled to consistently get a first-team berth. However, things changed after a loan move to Hoffenheim where Alaba thrived for the club, which earned him a place in the Bayern starting eleven upon his return. But while others have struggled to replicate that, many believe that Chris Richards has it in him to do the same.
The USMNT defender is currently on loan at Hoffenheim and has thrived for the club since arriving, which has many Bayern fans hopeful. Even Richards believes that the route that David Alaba took is open and ready for him to take his chance especially given his age. The 21-year-old also added that even if he doesn’t get a chance at Bayern, there are other clubs who’ll take notice.
“Everybody knows David’s story. I think when you’re playing at Hoffenheim, especially as a young player, a lot of the top clubs all over Europe are taking notice," Richards said, reported Goal.
"And so if I go back to Bayern and take the David Alaba route then that’s probably the best-case scenario. But there are also other routes you can take to get where you want to be.”
The American arrived in the Bundesliga in the winter of 2019 and joined a slew of players to arrive in Germany with the likes of Giovanni Reyna and Tyler Adams doing the same. That came after Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie also thrived in the German top tier and Richards admitted that it’s because getting game-time in the Bundesliga is easier. He also added that doing the same thing in England, is a lot tougher.
“I think the thing about Germany is that it’s not too political. If you’re working hard and you’re doing well in training, you’re more than likely going to get a chance on the weekend, right?. I’m not saying it’s a worse league than the Premier League but if you go over to England it’s definitely going to be a big jump and a struggle to get games,” he added.