‘Agent talk’ – Saunders dismisses Premier League links to Stones prodigy

By Adam Ellis
Maidstone United boss Jay Saunders has played down speculation linking promising teenage striker Jack Richards with a move to a Premier League club as false talk by agents.
Speculation over Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace considering a move for the 18-year-old were quashed by the Stones boss, who rubbished the rumours as part of the skullduggery that takes part on transfer deadline day.
“I've had a good chat with Jack and his dad and it's agents trying to do their job,” Saunders told Kent Online.
“Agents are a little bit silly in a way, some of them, that they don't realise that he's had 50 minutes of a game and done well.
“He was at Sevenoaks, East Grinstead and Faversham on loan last year and got sent back from them.”
Richards has featured mainly on the bench for Saunders this season but was handed his first start for the club against Wrexham in mid-August, and impressed his manager further when coming off the bench against Hartlepool last weekend.
“He's not quite ready yet. I thought he was excellent when he came on against Hartlepool but he's a young lad who needs more football and he'll get better for it.
“He's been good as gold. You could see that from when he came on.
“We want to work with players like Jack and Johan ter Horst and hopefully they do move on when the time's right for them and, more importantly, for us.”