"There are still negotiations but I definitely can't see myself going anywhere else; I'm happy to stay at West Ham," he insists.
His contract is up in the summer but, despite the fact that he could leave on a Bosman this summer, he is remaining loyal to West Ham and says:
"No club would have to pay anything for me but I am happy at West Ham and it would be nice to play regularly in the first team for the club I came to.
"I have been here so long and it is just a matter of time before the contract is signed, it is just little things being negotiated and I don't see any problems at all."
But he denied being in a Beckham style wrangle over image rights and says:
"I have got no image and there are no rights!"
Richard could make his home debut at the weekend; he didn't play in the reserves at Charlton this week and explains:
"I think there are a few injuries in the side so the gaffer said he wanted me to rest for Saturday, and we will see what happens in the next few days.
"If Don pulls through he will slip back into the side but if not I think I will be starting, and if the home debut comes about I will be happy to take it - I've been waiting for it a long time.
"I have been injured myself and I know how frustrating it is so I wish him well and hopefully he does get back."
He has certainly made a remarkable recovery from cruciate ligament damage that he sustained playing on loan for Leyton Orient - in a collision with fellow Hammer Grant McCann, who was on loan at Cheltenham at the time.
"It was two young West Ham boys playing against each other in the third division - it was a bit ironic, but that is the way things go," he recalls.
"It is never nice to hurt somebody, especially one of your mates, and he has apologised several times over it.
"It would be something stupid to fall out over; there was no intention there, it just one of those sporting accidents and you can't really do much about it.
"At times there were doubts I'd get back into the form I was in but mentally and maybe physically as well I have come back bigger and stronger.
"Anybody who has gone through a serious injury like that knows how it feels to be in doubt of your future."
Richard made his full debut last week at Bolton, of course, playing 80 minutes, while Grant was promoted to the bench.
He hopes that the Irishman will follow in his footsteps before the end of the season and make his first start for the club, and says:
"Grant has been playing well as well so hopefully he can progress; you have to look to the future.
"As for me, it is nice to come towards the end of the season and get a few games in the first team; anyone in the reserves aspires to that and I have been lucky enough to push on."