Former Bristol City goalkeeper casts judgement on his time in BS3 after rejoining hometown club

Former Bristol City goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards insists he leaves BS3 with only good memories after rejoining hometown club Bath City on a free transfer.

Wiles-Richards was among the nine Under-21 players whose contracts were not extended at the end of last season and has moved back down the A4 having been a Bath player from the age of 16 until he joined the City academy in 2020.

The 22-year-old was effectively third-choice for the Robins last term, but rarely made a first-team squad due to Max O’Leary’s consistency between the posts and Nigel Pearson and Liam Manning opting for Stefan Bajic as his deputy.

Wiles-Richards signed a one-year extension 12 months ago, having finished that season as No2 following Dan Bentley's sale to Wolves, but was never able to make a first-team breakthrough after being included in 20 matchday squads over his four years at Ashton Gate.

“It was really good, I loved my time there,” said Wiles-Richards, who posted a message with a similar tone on social media. “I’ve not got a bad word to say about the club, I really enjoyed it. All good things come to an end, it’s just one of those things.

“Now, I’m back here and I’m fully focused. My main objective, if I knew I wasn’t coming back to City, was to go out and play.

“I don’t think there’s a better club for me to come to and guarantee myself game time, make sure I enjoy my football again and do the best I can for the club.”

After recovering from a knee injury, Wiles-Richards spent the tail-end of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Weymouth in the National League South where he made 11 appearances and kept five clean sheets as the Terras finished 15th, nine places and 17 points behind Bath.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been back here. I’m looking forward to getting going again and I can’t wait to play,” Wiles-Richards added. “With me being local, a lot of people have spoken to me about maybe coming back. Being around it with the family, they’re always down here anyway. So, it’s nice to be back and with familiar faces again.

“My first game I was 16, and I went to City after that and spent the last (four) years there.

“The experience I’ve gained from that is massive. I left as a boy but I’ve come back as a man. It’s a completely different circumstance for me. I’m coming here as a number one, ready to play and do my best for the club.”

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