Signed on a three-year deal in July 2007 at the completion of his contract at Colchester United, after Jason Van Blerk and Danny Allsopp, Richard becomes the third Australian player to represent the Tigers.

An attacking wide midfielder or forward, he honed his skills at West Ham United's academy and was a member of the team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1999.

The young Hammers team, that included such as Joe Cole and Michael Carrick, hammered Coventry City 9-0 on aggregate in the Final.

Born in Perth, Richard had his first taste of senior action in a 21-game loan spell at Third Division Leyton Orient in the first-half of the 2000-01 season.

He made his first team debut for West Ham in a Worthington Cup tie against Reading in September 2001, going on to make a total of 22 appearances (18 as a substitute).

It was former Tigers boss Phil Parkinson who took Richard to Colchester in September 2004 and he played a key role in the Us' remarkable rise from League One also-rans to Championship Play-Off contenders.

He made a total of 98 appearances for the Essex club and scored 21 goals.

Having represented Australia from Under-17 to Under-23, Richard retains ambitions of playing at full international level.