Chris Richards reached a historic milestone on Sunday in front of the Selhurst Park faithful.

Richards made his 100th Crystal Palace appearance, scoring once in the club’s 3-1 London Derby defeat to Chelsea. The American defender logged the full 90 minutes in the match, celebrating his first league goal of the campaign and his second overall in all competitions.

Despite the visiting Blues dampening the mood in South London, Richards reflected on his century mark of appearances for the Eagles.

“It’s been a blessing, it’s been a journey,” Richards said postmatch in a club interview. “It’s felt like a lot more than 100 games but it’s a proud moment for myself. It’s been the longest that I’ve been at a club and I think it’s for a reason. I felt at home here, I feel like I have a family that supports me every day when I step into the building.

Not just at Copers Cope but also at Selhurst,” he added. “Through the ups and downs, everyone has been by my side, through injuries, through bad results, through good results, through an FA Cup, Supporters’ Shield. The whole journey here has been beautiful and hopefully I’ve have 100 more games to go.”

Richards joined Crystal Palace from German giants Bayern Munich in July 2022 with just 45 first team appearances under his belt. Although he also spent parts of two Bundesliga campaigns on loan at Hoffenheim, Richards has truly risen to the challenge with Crystal Palace, logging over 8,000 minutes for the club in all competitions.

He helped the Eagles lift the FA Cup over Manchester City last May before also capturing the Community Shield over reigning EPL winners Liverpool in August. Richards helped Crystal Palace make their European debut in the UEFA Conference League this fall/winter, making five appearances and contributing in the club’s advancement to the knockout phase.

Richards’ productive run in England has also led to Richards becoming a key face for the U.S. men’s national team over the past few years. The Alabama native has earned 32 senior caps since the start of 2022, scoring three goals and helping the USMNT win the CONCACAF Nations League twice.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than five months from kicking off, Richards is certainly one of the key figures in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad heading into the competition, and although he very well would’ve been among the centerback options regardless, his impactful time at Crystal Palace has surely helped boost his stock.

Richards will now start his quest towards 200 Crystal Palace appearances on Sunday when the Eagles visit Nottingham Forest in Premier League play.