{{short description|Gibraltarian footballer}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Carlos Richards | image = | caption = | fullname = Carlos Peliza Richards | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2005|8|30|df=y}}<ref name=soccerway>{{Soccerway|carlos-peliza-richards/771416|accessdate=9 May 2024}}</ref> | birth_place = London, England<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/results?datasetname=england+%26+wales+births+1837-2006&sid=103&firstname=carlos&lastname=richards|title=England & Wales Births 1837-2006|publisher=Find My Past|access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref> | height = | position = Winger | currentclub = Three Bridges | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2020 | youthclubs1 = Chelsea | youthyears2 = 2020 | youthclubs2 = West Ham United | youthyears3 = 2020–2024 | youthclubs3 = Derby County | years1 = 2022–2024 | caps1 = 1 | goals1 = 0 | clubs1 = Derby County | years2 = 2024–2025 | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | clubs2 = Dorking Wanderers | years3 = 2025 | caps3 = 1 | goals3 = 1 | clubs3 = → Dorking Wanderers B | years4 = 2025– | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | clubs4 = Bromley | years5 = 2025 | caps5 = 3 | goals5 = 0 | clubs5 = → Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan) | years6 = 2026 | caps6 = 8 | goals6 = 4 | clubs6 = → Erith Town (loan) | years7 = 2026 | caps7 = 7 | goals7 = 3 | clubs7 = → Three Bridges (loan) | years8 = 2026– | caps8 = 0 | goals8 = 0 | clubs8 = Three Bridges | nationalyears1 = 2021 | nationalteam1 = Gibraltar U17 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2023 | nationalteam2 = Gibraltar U19 | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2023– | nationalteam3 = Gibraltar U21 | nationalcaps3 = 10 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | nationalyears4 = 2025– | nationalteam4 = Gibraltar | nationalcaps4 = 11 | nationalgoals4 = 0 | club-update = 18:04, 25 April 2026 (UTC) | ntupdate = 31 March 2026 }} '''Carlos Peliza Richards''' (born 30 August 2005) is a Gibraltarian professional footballer who plays as a winger for {{English football updater|ThreeBri}} side Three Bridges.
==Club career== Richards is product of the youth academies of Chelsea and Derby County, having joined Derby County reserves on 13 August 2021 after a stint at West Ham United.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2021/08/academy-sign-duo-ahead-of-season-openers|title=Academy Sign Duo Ahead Of Season Openers|website=www.dcfc.co.uk}}</ref> He worked his way up through Derby County's U18 and U23 sides, eventually moving to their first team in 2022.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-carlos-richards-rooney-6926549|title=A closer look at teenager Carlos Richards ahead of his Derby breakthrough|newspaper=Derbyshirelive |date=April 8, 2022|via=www.derbytelegraph.co.uk}}</ref> He made his professional debut with Derby County in a 2–1 EFL Championship win over Fulham on 15 April 2022, coming on as a late sub in the 90th minute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/apr/15/derby-fulham-championship-match-report|title=Defiant Derby fightback denies Fulham promotion party and keeps hope alive|first=P. A.|last=Media|date=April 15, 2022|website=the Guardian}}</ref>
After breaking into the club's under-21 team during the 2022–23 season, Richards signed his first professional contract with Derby County and was promoted to the under-21 squad on a full-time basis ahead of the 2023–24 season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2023/07/academy-update-under-21s-add-duo-and-five-sign-deals|title=Academy Update: Under-21s add duo and quintet sign new deals|newspaper=Derby County Football Club |date=7 July 2023|access-date=11 July 2023|via=www.dcfc.co.uk}}</ref> Richards made 10 Premier League 2 appearances during this season for the under-21s.<ref name=soccerway/> He was released by the club at the end of the 2023–24 season.<ref>[https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2024/05/derby-county-retained-list-202324-season Derby County Retained List: 2023/24 Season] Derby County. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.</ref>
After spending several months without a club, Richards joined Dorking Wanderers in early December 2024, making his debut in their Surrey Senior Cup win against Lingfield. For the second half of the season, he went on to play for their B team in the tenth tier Southern Combination Football League Division One. He scored on his debut on 1 February 2025, in a 3–0 win over Montpelier Villa.<ref>[https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/wanderers-take-the-villa-4971486 Wanderers take the Villa] Sussex World. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.</ref> In August 2025 he joined Bromley, playing for their U21 team in the Suburban League.<ref>[https://fulltime.thefa.com/displayFixture.html?id=28239215 Slough Town Academy vs Bromley U21] FA Full-Time. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.</ref>
On 8 November 2025, Richards joined National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough on a short-term loan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 November 2025 |title=Hampton & Richmond Borough FC on X |url=https://x.com/HAMRICHFC/status/1987163197439160624}}</ref> In January 2026, he joined Erith Town on loan.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.erithtown.com/six-new-signings-for-the-dockers/|title=Six New Signings for the Dockers|website=www.erithtown.com|date=14 January 2026|accessdate=16 January 2026}}</ref> After impressing with 4 goals in 8 games for the struggling Dockers, he joined title chasing Three Bridges in March 2026, scoring on his debut against Beckenham Town on 10 March. He joined on a permanent basis on 28 May.
==International career== Richards is a youth international for Gibraltar, having been called up to the Gibraltar U17s in October 2021.<ref name="auto"/> He registered an assist on his debut, sending in a free-kick for Jaiden Bartolo to head home in an eventual 6–1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 7 August 2021.<ref>[https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2031050--bosnia-and-herzegovina-vs-gibraltar/ Bosnia and Herzegovina-Gibraltar | Under-17 2021/22]. ''UEFA.com''. Retrieved 15 April 2022.</ref> In September 2023, he accepted a call-up to the U21 squad for the first time.<ref>[https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2023/09/youngster-richards-earns-international-call-up-09-23 Youngster Richards Earns Gibraltar Under-21s Call-Up] Derby County FC. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.</ref> He made his senior international debut in a 3–1 defeat to Montenegro on 22 March 2025, starting the game and playing the full 90 minutes.<ref>[https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044169--montenegro-vs-gibraltar/ Match Report: Montenegro vs Gibraltar | European Qualifiers 2026] UEFA.com. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{updated|match played 25 April 2026}}
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|EFL Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Derby County |2022–23 |rowspan="1"|Championship |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- |2023–24 |League One |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0 |- |rowspan="1"|Dorking Wanderers |2024–25 |National League South |0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||1{{efn|Appearance in Surrey Senior Cup.}}||0||1||0 |- |rowspan="1"|Dorking Wanderers B |2024–25 |Southern Combination Division One |1||1||colspan=2|—||colspan=2|—||1{{efn|Appearance in Division One Challenge Cup.}}||0||2||1 |- |rowspan="1"|Bromley |2025–26 |League Two |0||0||0||0||0||0||2{{efn|Appearances in London Senior Cup.}}||0||2||0 |- |Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan) |2025–26 |National League South |3||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0||3||0 |- |Erith Town (loan) |2025–26 |Isthmian League South East |8||4||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0||8||4 |- |Three Bridges (loan) |2025–26 |Isthmian League South East |7||3||0||0||colspan=2|—||1{{efn|Appearances in Sussex Senior Cup.}}||0||8||3 |- |rowspan="2"|Three Bridges |2026–27 |Isthmian League Premier |0||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||0||0||0||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !7!!3!!0!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!8!!3 |- !colspan=3|Career total !20!!8!!0!!0!!0!!0!!5!!0!!25!!8 |} {{notelist}}
===International=== {{updated|31 March 2026}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- |colspan=3|Gibraltar |- !Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |2025||9||0 |- |2026||2||0 |- !Total!!11!!0 |}
==Honours== ;With Three Bridges *Isthmian League Division One South East: 2025–26
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerway|carlos-peliza-richards/771416}} * [https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/carlos-richards DCFC Profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Carlos}} Category:2005 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from London Category:Gibraltarian men's footballers Category:Gibraltar men's youth international footballers Category:Gibraltar men's international footballers Category:Gibraltar men's under-21 international footballers Category:English men's footballers Category:English people of Gibraltarian descent Category:Men's association football wingers Category:Derby County F.C. players Category:Dorking Wanderers F.C. players Category:Bromley F.C. players Category:Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. players Category:Erith Town F.C. players Category:Three Bridges F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Southern Combination Football League players Category:21st-century British sportsmen