Chris Richards

Richards is the kind of defender who rarely looks flustered. He keeps his body shape strong, waits for the right moment, then wins the duel without turning it into a scramble. In a system that asks defenders to protect space behind them, that calm timing matters because it prevents one mistake becoming two.

With the ball, he’s clean and sensible. He’ll play into midfield when the pass is on and reset play when it isn’t, keeping Palace’s build-up stable rather than forcing danger. He might not dominate headlines, but he gives Palace reliability, and reliability is often what allows bigger personalities around him to play with freedom.

Crystal Palace

Maxence Lacroix

Marc Guéhi