And despite the wide range of nationalities now pulling on the sky blue shirt, Richard says that everyone speaks the same language out on the field of play.
“The last two weeks have been a bit strange,” says Richard. “Every day there’s a new face and there’s been so many agents knocking around the place. But this is what everyone wants here, it’s great for the club with all these international players coming in.
“It can be difficult with all the languages, I’m having a lot of one-sentence conversations at the moment, but the main thing is that on the training field everyone understands and we’re all on the same level.”
Richard has analysed all the newcomers, here’s what he says:
Elano: “I think he is the player that the fans will take to first, he’s a creator in midfield and the some of the skills he’s shown in training already have excited the players. I’m sure the fans are in for a treat with him.”
Geovanni: “He’s along the same lines as Elano, his crossing is outstanding and I think he’ll be a set piece specialist.”
Martin Petrov (right): “He’s probably the most well-known of all the signings, he’s got great pace but he’s a really good lad as well. He’s up for a laugh and he seems to have settled in very quickly.”
Rolando Bianchi: “Rolando’s been great, he’s another young lad coming to a foreign place and he has settled in really well. It seems like he’s been here for months as he was the first signing, but he’s very dangerous around the box.
Valeri Bojinov: “A strong looking lad, so not many people will take the mick out of his first name! He’s a 100% player, chases everything down and he looks to have real ability. He’s not had the chance to play a game, but in training he’s looked really sharp.”
Gelson Fernandes (left): “He’s been great, he’s only 19 or 20 but every time he plays he’s ordering us about and gets stuck in. He’s excitable, chases around and sometimes he drives the rest of us crazy!”
Vedran Corluka: “Vedran’s a really nice lad, a big, tall centre half and he’s probably the best English speaker out of all the new lads. He’s really looking forward to playing in the Premier League, he’ll get on well over because he’s strong in the tackle and good in the air.”
Javier Garrido: “Javi probably has the least English, but the way he plays will make up for any doubts there. He’s very talented, another young defender and he’s linked up really well with Petrov in training.”
