Micah Richards has thrown his weight behind Nicolas Jackson, the striker Chelsea sold to Aston Villa last summer, predicting he could become 'one of the top strikers in Europe'. The former Manchester City defender's comments come after a turbulent period for the Senegal international, who was offloaded amid a massive squad overhaul at Stamford Bridge.
Jackson's Chelsea exit and Villa move
Xabi Alonso, who took over as Chelsea manager, rebuilt the squad over the summer, with a staggering 20 players leaving either permanently or on loan. Jackson was among them, moving to Aston Villa in a deal worth an initial £47.5 million, potentially rising to £65 million.
This came despite the 25-year-old recording an impressive 30 goals and 12 assists in 81 appearances for the Blues, during which he won the Conference League and the Club World Cup. However, he was exiled by previous manager Enzo Maresca last year and loaned to Bayern Munich, a move that backfired on Chelsea as his direct replacement Liam Delap flopped and the club slumped to 10th in the Premier League table.
Richards' high praise for Jackson
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Richards made his admiration clear. 'I'm going to say something quite controversial: I think Jackson is absolutely amazing,' he said. 'Chelsea didn't keep him. He goes to Bayern. Obviously, he's not going to play ahead of Harry Kane. But watch his hold up play. Watch his movement. It's just that little bit at the end, that composure.'
The former England international added: 'Everyone's just fascinated with stats and goals or assists or whatever. But if you actually use your eyes to watch the game, he's got so much ability on the ball. His touch around the corner, his awareness when to run in behind, when to drop deep, link up. He's got everything.'
Richards believes Jackson's potential is untapped. 'If he could work on just finishing, that composure when he gets into that final third, I think he could be one of the top strikers in Europe. That's how highly I rate him,' he said. 'His debut season at Chelsea, he got 14 Premier League goals. In your first season, at a club that's going through change, and he came to Chelsea when he was 22, that's not a bad number.'
Villa impact and Lineker's agreement
Jackson has already made an impact at Villa, scoring his first goal for the club in a Champions League win at Club Brugge. He will be hoping to help get Villa's Premier League campaign up and running on Saturday when they host Nottingham Forest.
The striker has a tough task on his hands replacing Ollie Watkins, but Gary Lineker 'totally agrees' with Richards' assessment. 'It's raw talent and it's just whether you can turn that into consistent ability to finish,' the England legend said. 'He gets a little bit excited in front of goal and that is obviously the most important thing. He's quick, he can hold it, he moves well. It's just that final thing, but that is also the most important thing. You've got to have a calmness to you in front of goal but it's good start for him.'
