Grateful Taylor Richards seeking to repay faith of Doncaster Rovers chief Darren Moore

It is no surprise, then, that the young midfielder is now doing his utmost to impress Doncaster Rovers manager Darren Moore at every opportunity.

The 20-year-old scored in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over AFC Wimbledon, a seventh victory in eight League One outings for the South Yorkshire club that takes them up to fourth ahead of Saturday’s intriguing trip to new leaders Lincoln City.

Richards, full of energy and guile, played a big part in the success, as he has done throughout their impressive campaign.

Since Moore brought him to the Keepmoat Stadium in August, he has played the bulk of their games, making 24 appearances and starting in 12 of his 17 league outings.

Having failed to make the breakthrough at Manchester City, he joined Premier League Brighton in a £2.5m deal in July 2019 when aged just 18.

However, the former England Under-17 international struggled to kick on, making just one appearance for Brighton against Aston Villa in the League Cup two months later.

Doncaster, then, is a chance to play much-needed first-team football but he conceded: “At the start of the season, I didn’t think anyone would have taken me.”

Asked why, Richards said: “Just my past. People might say I wasn’t doing enough or I had a bad attitude and I honestly didn’t think I would get a loan at the start of the season.

“But the gaffer’s taken me here and he’s playing me so what more can I ask for? When I go onto the pitch I try and do whatever I can to help repay him. I feel I always just needed a chance; I needed someone to just take me in and have faith in me and the gaffer’s done that. I’m forever grateful.”

Richards had scored just once in his opening 17 games in Doncaster colours but has now netted three times in his last seven matches.

Granted, the Londoner’s long-range effort that put them 2-0 up before the break against Wimbledon took a wicked deflection but, not surprisingly, he is not complaining.

“If you don’t shoot you don’t score!” said Richards, who added that Moore has been encouraging him to take more chances.

“When we’re in those areas, the gaffer just wants me to try and make it count, whether that’s with a pass, an assist or shooting.

“I’m just happy that I got to help the team and we got the win. That’s most important.”

He had been “disappointed” to be dropped to the bench for Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup loss at West Ham so was keen to make a mark.

But Richards never felt there would be a Hammers hangover.

In contrast, he thought the hefty defeat against Premier League opponents was an invaluable lesson, in more ways than one.

Doncaster played some brilliantly slick football against Wimbledon and Richards said: “That’s what we do here; we play good football.

“But off the back of the West Ham game, what their players were doing – it was two touch and you could really feel the quality – I thought that we brought that (against Wimbledon) as well.

“We can take from that experience. That’s where everyone wants to be; everyone wants to progress, be a player at the highest level playing against the best players so you have to take notes from their game and try and put it in yours.”

Rovers’ biggest test in League One will come this weekend when they head to a Lincoln side sitting six points clear of them.

But confidence is high in the Rovers’ ranks, with Richards adding: “You want to play in the big games. We’ll have a few days training and try get the result. It’s a long season and there’s so many games coming up but we’ll go there hoping for three points.”

And this maturing player will continue proving he has a perfectly good attitude after all.