Lewisham footballer seals switch to Premier League new boys

Lewisham-raised Omar Richards has joined Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest.

The left-back, 24, has signed a four-year contract with Steve Cooper’s side, who won the Championship play-off final in May.

Richards was released by Fulham at U16 level and signed for Reading in 2017. He then joined German club Bayern Munich on a four-year deal when his Royals terms expired in June 2021. He made 17 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga giants.

“I grew up with my mum, a single parent, I didn’t see too much of my dad,” Richards told Reading’s official website in 2019. “I’m fortunate for her making a lot of things work for me.

“I owe a lot of it to my mum. If it wasn’t for her taking me to all these training sessions from such a young age, I’m not sure I would have been so driven and stayed on with football, so a lot of it is down to her.”

Forest are back in England’s top flight after a 23-year absence.

Cooper said: “He previously established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Championship, but has since gone on to experience the Champions League and the Bundesliga with one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Another South Londoner to seal a Premier League move is Camberwell’s Joe Aribo. The former Charlton midfielder, 25, has signed a four-year contract at Southampton after terms were agreed with Rangers.