text: Wilder's side were confirmed champions after rivals Oxford lost to Luton Town.
  "He's a very down to earth guy, he's a motivator and certainly gets us going for games," said Richards.
  "That hour before the game after we've warmed up he's certainly getting in each other's ears. It's loud in the dressing room, put it that way."
  Richards continued to BBC Radio Northampton: "But you can go to him and speak to him, anything about football or outside football. He's been first class for all the players this season."
  In November, the club owed repayments on a £10.25m loan to the local borough council, while they faced a winding-up petition from HM Revenue & Customs and the club's bank account was frozen.
  However, after a takeover from Kelvin Thomas changed the fortunes of the club off the pitch and Wilder and his team continued their fine form to win 10 matches in a row, and they are currently on a 20-game unbeaten run.
  Richards himself, though, has missed the run-in because of an Achilles injury, which needed an operation.
  "I've had a tendon taken out of each Achilles, apparently you don't need them, and I've had a scrape on my Achilles to take away the scar tissue," said the 33-year-old.
  "It'll be another week on my crutches, I should be back jogging within five weeks and then a week before pre-season starts I should be back to full fitness.
  "The idea behind getting the operation done now was to make sure I was ready for next season. Maybe I could have battled on through the last few games, but I wouldn't have done myself or the club justice."
target: Northampton Town striker Marc Richards has praised "first-class" manager Chris Wilder after the Cobblers won the League Two title.