Melvyn Richardson: “It is all about finding the right balance”

eurohandball.com: What words would you use to sum up your first few days in Plock?

Melvyn Richardson: It has been great, really. My family and I had a very warm welcome from everyone at the club, all the staff, and we have settled very easily in our new environment. The city is really nice, there are a lot of things to do with the kids and for now, even better, the sun is shining. But I have heard that the summers can be pretty rough around here, so we will see.

eurohandball.com: Talking about summers: you got married this summer, which made it a pretty busy one…

Melvyn Richardson: Yes, there were a lot of things to handle, the wedding, moving from Barcelona to Plock, especially since my second child was born a couple of months ago. But it feels like a turning point, in a way, to have all these great things happening in the same summer. The wedding was a way to say a warm and emotional goodbye to Barcelona, in a way, but now I am fully focused on the preparation and what is ahead of us.

eurohandball.com: Can you tell us about your first steps with your new team?

Melvyn Richardson: I have nothing but good words to say so far. The atmosphere is great, we are working a lot, but everyone is pulling in the same direction. We have a lot of talented players, but also experienced ones, so we all know that the preparation is really important if we want to have a good season.

eurohandball.com: Do you feel like you are part of Plock’s even bigger ambitions this season?

Melvyn Richardson: I feel like the club wants and is ready to take another step, judging by the players it signed and the way the board and the staff talk. I am in the same position a little bit and I feel like this new environment is really where I will be able to take another step forward. Everything is set in Plock for everyone to succeed. Now it is all about finding the right balance between being ambitious and taking the time to build something solid to start with.

eurohandball.com: Do you feel like you did not have a big enough role in Barça?

Melvyn Richardson: I had an important role, even though it took some time for it to happen. But I feel like I had to take another step, maybe be even more important in a team playing the Champions League. Here, when I arrived, coach Xavi Sabate told me he wanted me to be in the captains’ group. I told him that I wanted him to talk with the players first that have been here longer, but of course, this is a sign of the trust they put in me. On the other hand, I will be the same Melvyn as I have always been, things won’t change because I am one of the captains.

eurohandball.com: Plock have always been a team with a defensive tradition. Do you feel like you can adapt to that?

Melvyn Richardson: That’s clearly something that I want to work on. We work a lot already on that, and I feel like I am already understanding things. The way Plock defend is completely different to what I am used to, but that’s a good thing. There are a lot of physical players, I knew I would face a tough defence when I played Plock in the past seasons, so I hope to rise to that level.

eurohandball.com: What would be a successful first season for you in Plock?

Melvyn Richardson: That’s tough to say, especially since we have yet to play our first official game. But I guess winning the maximum of trophies, going as far as possible in the Champions League, and proving the fans here, and the whole club, that I deserved the trust they put in me.

photos © Orlen Wisla Plock