ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI’S new team-mate Omar Richards can use his shock Bundesliga move as a springboard into the England squad — just like Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham.
The little-known Reading star has moved to German champions Bayern Munich on a free transfer as left-back David Alaba heads to LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
And ex-Royals captain and Wales centre-back Ady Williams reckons Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate will now be keeping close tabs on the 23-year-old.
Williams, 49, told SunSport: “He’s going to be playing with Lewandowski and Thomas Muller, absolutely sensational, world-class players.
“And just to train with them, never mind the matches against Borussia Dortmund and Co, that will make him a better player and develop him for international football.
“Omar has also got age on his side and Gareth Southgate and scouts from all over the Premier League will be keeping an eye on him for sure.
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“If he performs at Bayern Munich I’m sure Southgate will be including him in the England squad.
“It will be hard, because 23 isn’t that young any more when you look at Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden and what they have done.
“So Richards has to make an impact with Bayern pretty soon to get that international recognition.
“But I think Bayern have been very clever to snap him up.
“As a former Reading player, the only downside is that the club won’t get the money they would have got on the open market, which could have been £10-15million.
“But if he plays there and is a success in Germany then those numbers will double pretty quickly.”
Ahead of arriving at Allianz Arena on a four-year deal at the end of the month, the Madejski Stadium academy product admitted he was in dreamland.
London-born Richards said: “My move to FC Bayern is a great honour for me, a dream come true.
“I’m proud to be wearing the shirt of one of the world’s biggest clubs. I hope I can help the team continue to be successful.
“My thanks to the management at FC Bayern for their trust. Our conversations were very convincing and I can’t wait to be on the pitch for Bayern.”
Julian Nagelsmann’s new man is not the first star to quit Berkshire for a crack at the big time.
He follows the likes of Premier League aces Gylfi Sigurdsson, Steve Sidwell and Michail Antonio.
Williams added: “He is the modern-day footballer — very athletic and has decent distribution.
“But even if it doesn’t work out, the ruthless side of me reckons he will come back to England and into the Premier League as a better player and person for the experience.”
