Scout Report – Theo Richardson
Manchester United have confirmed the permanent signing of young goalkeeper Theo Richardson. The 18-year old arrived on a short-term deal from Leeds United at the end of last season. Having managed to impress the people at the club with his performances for the Red Devils U-18 side, he has been signed permanently.
Richardson was a part of the squad that traveled to a joint training camp in Austria for the United U18s and the U23s along with fellow keepers Kieran O’Hara, Max Johnstone and Ilias Moutha-Sebtaoui. He is likely to challenge them for a spot in the U-23 setup and the squad for the UEFA Youth League.
The 20-time English champions have already made three academy signings, with Largie Ramazani arriving from Charlton Athletic, along with Aliou Badara Traore and Ethan Galbraith.
Here we bring you the low-down on United’s latest academy recruit of the summer.
Footballing Background
Born in Lincoln, England, on 6 October 1998, Richardson began his footballing career with the academy of Leeds United. Having risen through the ranks at the Yorkshire-based outfit, he was told that the club wouldn’t be offering him a professional contract, following which he joined Manchester United on a trial in March 2017.
He made his debut for the club’s U18 side on 18 March 2017, in an intense clash against Manchester City and starred in the game that ended in a 2-2 draw, with a number of acrobatic saves. In all, he made 5 appearances for the U18s in the final stages of the U-18 Premier League, without keeping a clean sheet and conceding 15 goals.
The 18-year old custodian was also given a taste of the U-23s action last season when he was named on the bench for the penultimate game of the campaign against Arsenal U23s. He was also a part of the squad that participated in the Dallas Cup featuring the likes of Coritiba, Real Salt Lake and Chivas. Following his impressive displays for the club, he was signed on a permanent basis by the club.
Style of Play
Richardson is not the tallest goalkeeper, but is strongly built and has displayed great attributes of developing into a quality stopper for the future. Extremely acrobatic, the 18-year old has pulled off some stunning saves already in his short span with the Red Devils.
The former Leeds man isn’t afraid to come out of his lines to get hold of the ball and can make himself big in one-on-one situations. However, he does display a tendency of being undecided in crucial situations, which is something that needs to be worked upon, along with a number of other aspects like composure and distribution from the back.
What Does The Future Hold?
Having made it to the U23s setup towards the business end of last season, Richardson is likely to compete for a place in the reserve side, with the likes of Joel Pereira. He is also likely to be heavily involved in United’s UEFA Youth League squad as well.
However, as far as first-team opportunities go, he is going to have to wait for a long time to get a sniff of action with Jose Mourinho’s senior side.