 Richards playing forBristol Rovers in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eliot Allen Richards[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1991-09-10)10 September 1991 (age 34) | ||
| Place of birth | New Tredegar, Wales | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Barry Town United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2014 | Bristol Rovers | 112 | (16) |
| 2014 | →Exeter City (loan) | 17 | (5) |
| 2014–2015 | Tranmere Rovers | 13 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | Cheltenham Town | 9 | (1) |
| 2016 | →Bath City (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2016 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | Weston-super-Mare | 11 | (0) |
| 2016 | →Merthyr Town (loan) | ||
| 2017 | Merthyr Town | ||
| 2017–2019 | Hereford | 61 | (5) |
| 2019–2020 | Merthyr Town | 21 | (5) |
| 2020–2021 | Barnet | 3 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Merthyr Town | 10 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Pontypridd United | 14 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Penybont | 19 | (2) |
| 2024– | Barry Town United | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2010 | Wales U19 | 1 | (0) |
| 2012 | Wales U21 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 27 June 2024 (UTC) | |||
Eliot Allen Richards (born 10 September 1991) is a Welsh professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forCymru Premier clubBarry Town United.
A product of the Rovers youth system, Richards joined the professional ranks at the club in the summer of 2009.[2]
He was the first of the group to break into the first team when he made his debut on 20 February 2010, when he came on as a 73rd-minute substitute forAndy Williams in aFootball League One match againstGillingham.[3]
He scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season againstLeyton Orient at Portman Road on 13 August 2011, which Rovers lost 3–2. On 4 December 2011, he scored 2 goals in Rovers 6–1FA Cup rout againstTotton. On 14 April, Richards scored his first hat-trick against Burton Albion in a match Bristol Rovers won 7–1.
On 29 September 2012, Elliot Richards scored his first goal of the season in a away match at local rivalsExeter City, the goal proved to be the match winner for Bristol Rovers in a 2–1 Victory.[4]
He received his first red card for Bristol Rovers in a 2–1 defeat away against atRochdale.[5]
On 6 May 2014, after Bristol Rovers were relegated to theFootball Conference, he, along with 12 other players at Bristol Rovers were released from the club.
On 7 February 2014, Richards joinedExeter City on loan for the remainder of the2013–14 season withAlan Gow joiningBristol Rovers on loan in the opposite direction.[6]
On 28 May 2014, Richards became newTranmere Rovers managerRob Edwards first signing, signing a two-year deal with the club. Richards scored his first Tranmere goal on 23 August againstCheltenham Town. Richards left Tranmere on 2 February 2015 by mutual consent.[7]
Richards signed an 18-month deal withCheltenham Town on 2 February 2015. He rejoinedRob Edwards, who after being sacked by Tranmere had recently been appointed as Cheltenham assistant manager.[8]
On 28 March 2015, it was announced that Richards had been diagnosed withtesticular cancer.[9] On 4 September he has been given the all-clear in his battle with cancer and aimed to return to the pitch at Christmas.[10]
In January 2016, Eliot joinedNational League South sideBath City on loan for a month.
Richards was released by Cheltenham Town in March 2016.
On 4 April 2016, Richards signed with theTampa Bay Rowdies of theNorth American Soccer League through the end of NASL spring season, with an option for the remainder of the 2016 season and the 2017 full season,[11] linking up with former Bristol Rovers team-mate and Rowdies head coachStuart Campbell. However, Richards did not play any games in the US before returning to the UK.
Richards joinedWeston-super-Mare in August 2016 after obtaining international clearance.[12] Two months later he joinedSouthern Football League clubMerthyr Town on loan until 31 December,[13] before signing permanently in January.[14] After ten goals in 52 appearances for the Martyrs, Richards joined league rivalsHereford in November 2017,[15] winning promotion at the end of the season. Richards left the Bulls in August 2019 after deciding to join a new club permanently rather than play temporarily elsewhere to earn a new deal.[16] He then re-joined Merthyr for the 2019-20 season.[17] In July 2020, Richards agreed to remain with Merthyr for the 2020-21 season, however on 10 September 2020, Richards moved up two divisions to joinNational League sideBarnet.[18] In November, Richards sustained multiple injuries in Barnet'sFA Cup win overBurton Albion, including tears of hisanterior cruciate ligament andmeniscus.[19] He was released at the end of the season.[20] After 13 months out injured Richards re-joined Merthyr in December 2021.[21]
In October 2023, Richards joinedPenybont following a spell withPontypridd United.[22] In June 2024, he joinedBarry Town United.[23]
Richards was called up to theWales national under-19 football team in April 2010, for their squad to face Northern Ireland on 5 May.[24]
Richards was called up to the Wales Under 21 squad for the first time in August 2012 for their match against Armenia.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bristol Rovers | 2009–10[25] | League One | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11[26] | League One | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[a] | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12[27] | League Two | 32 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1[a] | 0 | 37 | 10 | |
| 2012–13[28] | League Two | 40 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 42 | 6 | ||
| 2013–14[29] | League Two | 22 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 28 | 5 | ||
| Total | 112 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 129 | 22 | ||
| Exeter City (loan) | 2013–14[29] | League Two | 17 | 5 | — | — | — | 17 | 5 | |||
| Tranmere Rovers | 2014–15[30] | League Two | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Cheltenham Town | 2014–15[30] | League Two | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| 2015–16[31] | National League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bath City (loan) | 2015–16[32] | National League South | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2016[33] | North American Soccer League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Weston-super-Mare | 2016–17[32] | National League South | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 3 | 13 | 4 |
| Merthyr Town (loan) | 2016–17 | SFL Premier Division | No data currently available | |||||||||
| Merthyr Town | 2016–17 | SFL Premier Division | No data currently available | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | No data currently available | |||||||||||
| Hereford | 2017–18 | SFL Premier Division | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 |
| 2018–19[32] | National League North | 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| Total | 61 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 5 | ||
| Merthyr Town | 2019–20[34] | SFL Premier Division South | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | 24 | 6 |
| Barnet | 2020–21[32] | National League | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Merthyr Town | 2021–22 | SFL Premier Division South | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| Pontypridd United | 2022–23 | Cymru Premier | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Penybont | 2023–24 | Cymru Premier | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career total | 285 | 38 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 314 | 49 | ||
Media related toEliot Richards at Wikimedia Commons