Exeter City need to turn Gary Caldwell hope into a reality ASAP: View | OneFootball

Exeter City are still seating on Jake Richards' contract and should be going all out to get it done ASAP.

There aren’t many 16-year-olds that play anywhere in professional football, never mind in League One.

That was Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell’s public pitch to prodigious midfielder Jake Richards when he confirmed they had opened talks with the teenager over his first professional deal.

Caldwell went on: “We have offered him two or three now as he keeps doing so well, we are putting different contract offers to him and when he is 17 he can sign that contract and extend his stay at the club.

“For him to have started so many games in League One shows the talent and potential he has, so hopefully when that contract gets put in front of him he signs it and stays here.”

The Scot sounded fairly confident a deal would be struck, but that was over four months ago and the wait goes on to see if Richards will pen a pro deal with the club or if we’re heading towards another Jay Stansfield or Ethan Ampadu situation where another promising academy product is poached by a club higher up the pyramid for peanuts.

Now 17, Richards celebrated his birthday on August 8th so has had well over a month to sign on the dotted line.

City fans are getting nervy and Caldwell effectively admitted he had no idea if the teenager, who has made 13 appearances for the first team, was committing to the club or not.

Exeter hopeful of keeping Jake Richards

Speaking prior to the weekend’s heart-breaking 2-1 loss to Blackpool, Caldwell said: "Is there an update? No is the answer. He showed again how much of a talent he is last night [against Norwich under 21s in the Premier League Cup].

"We want to keep him at the football club and I'm not quite sure where those negotiations are at.

"I'm sure we will get something done and we'll keep him at this football club for a number of years yet."

Richards did indeed get rave views in that excellent win last week and every time we see him in action he looks a bit better, though he has a lot of filling out to do before he can realistically be a regular in the rough and tumble of League One and his pre-season has been disturbed by an injury.

The fact that he’s getting games is not just bribery or a charitable act, Caldwell has repeatedly said that youngsters will get their chance if they’re good enough and prove themselves in training - and he’s being good to his word.

He’s been gaining valuable experience that just pushes him closer and closer to first-team football with every appearance.

And, of course, the best way to get ready for men’s football is by playing men’s football, but it’s a tricky balancing act in the unrelenting quest for three points every weekend.

Jake Richards has big contract decision to make

The club are clearly being flexible in these negotiations, as proven by the fact that they’ve repeatedly upped and improved the offers on the table to the Exeter-born starlet.

We don’t know what’s holding the negotiations up but the longer it goes on the more ominous it feels.

There are no rumours of other clubs swooping in as of yet, though there must surely be interest from elsewhere as, like Caldwell said, you don’t see many 16-year-olds starting in League One matches.

If that is the case the question for Richards is an age-old one, would he rather be a number in the ranks of a big club or on the cusp of regular first-team football at his hometown team?

Exeter will not hold him against his will if he stays and the big boys come knocking, history has proven that.

City are trying hard to keep their current Young Player Of The Year but it feels like this story will have to come to a head soon, and everyone at EX4 will be hoping he follows in Sonny Cox’s shoes and commits to staying in Devon’s capital.