'It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed my football' - Brighton loanee Taylor Richards on finding the love again at Doncaster Rovers

The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder admits he had lost a little love for the game in the last few years.

But he says the freedom he has been given during his short time at Rovers so far has brought it all back - and he wants more.

“With some previous clubs that I’ve been at, it’s been stressful for me with things going on and people’s opinions of me and different things,” he told the Free Press.

“Now I’m here it’s like having a clean slate and being given the freedom to enjoy myself and enjoy my football again.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed my football.

“Now I’m here, I’m enjoying it with the freedom on the pitch and the trust of the manager, it’s been really good.”

Richards – who netted his first senior goal in Rovers’ win over Bristol Rovers last week – joined Brighton from Manchester City last summer for an initial £1million, but the deal could rise to £2.5million.

He was happy to move in order to progress his chances of breaking into senior football but was limited to 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup as well as appearances in the EFL Trophy for the Seagulls’ U21 side.

The 19-year-old feels therefore that his loan move to Rovers was the real starting point for his senior career.

“There’s so many things that I need to learn and I’m learning now that I haven’t come across before because this is senior football,” he said.

“This is my first senior experience and I’m enjoying it so far but there are so many details that you need to learn. It’s not the same as U23s.

“It’s been a great experience for me so far but there is so much more for me to learn down the line.

“Especially the tactics, where you need to be on the pitch, defending - it’s gathering all these things and taking them into the next game. Taking all the information that they give me during the week into the game and looking back on it.

“If I’m doing anything wrong, in the next week I have to try to bring it and get better.”

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