The 21-year-old has been struggling with his form in recent seasons and have lost his place in the England squad.
“A lot has been said about me, but I have worked hard and I am still in the team,” explained Richards. “All players have ups and downs – but I still believe in myself.
“The mentality is different from last season. The mentality now is win, win, win. We go into a game thinking it is a must win if we want to get where we want to be.
“We have players like Tevez, Robinho, Petrov, Ireland, Adebayor, one of the best attacks in the league and we must deliver. I am just glad to be part of it.”
