Chris Richards celebrates the wave of young Americans breaking into the Premier League

Look up at the stands in the Premier League right now and you'll notice more and more American jerseys among the crowd. For Chris Richards, that says a lot more than any statistic could. The Crystal Palace defender and US national teamer is convinced: Americans are no longer a rarity in English football, they're a trend.

This summer, Richards's club signed a 19 year old compatriot: Real Salt Lake midfielder Zavier Gozo. But the movement didn't stop there. Names like Max Arfsten, Jack McGlynn, Sebastian Berhalter, Luca Bombino and Rokas Pukstas also packed their bags for the Championship. It's a wave that hasn't gone unnoticed by Richards.

"They see that we have hardworking, talented guys, and so they dug into our player pool and brought players over," the defender explained during a US national team media event, sitting alongside Gozo. And he didn't hold back on what this moment means for soccer in his country.

For us it's really exciting because I think the Premier League, or really the English league system as a whole, is the best in the world, and the most demanding.Chris Richards

Richards, who has been training with the national team this week at the start of the international window, also noticed something that fills him with pride: the respect American players are earning in England keeps growing every season. It's not an isolated case, he insists, but something collective.

You see people in the stands wearing USA jerseys now. I think it's really cool to have seen that development and the respect that us Americans have earned over the last few years in the Premier League. It's not just about me and Zavier. It's about every single person who came before us and who's still playing over there in the Prem.Chris Richards

Gozo's dream debut

For Gozo, just 19 years old, this call up marks his first opportunity with the senior team. And it's clear he's still taking it all in.

It's been incredible. Obviously, from finding out I got called up to being here and being around everyone, and around players I've looked up to for a long time, it's felt kind of surreal. But also, obviously, I want to play for the national team and compete for a spot here. So I'm trying to learn, but also trying to be competitive.Zavier Gozo

The young midfielder is one of 13 call ups who could make their senior team debut during this fall window, which includes friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. With several regulars resting for this camp, no player on the current roster is older than 30, a clear sign of where the coaching staff is looking.

The young squad, filled with new faces, is training in the Atlanta area at U.S. Soccer's brand new National Training Center. From there, they'll travel to Orlando, where the window kicks off this Saturday against Peru at Inter&Co Stadium. Matches against Chile on September 29, Mexico on October 3 and Canada on October 6 will follow.