Kieran Richardson facts for kids
Richardson in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kieran Edward Richardson | ||
| Date of birth | 21 October 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Greenwich, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, left-back, central midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2001 | West Ham United | ||
| 2001–2002 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2007 | Manchester United | 41 | (2) |
| 2005 | → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 12 | (3) |
| 2007–2012 | Sunderland | 134 | (14) |
| 2012–2014 | Fulham | 45 | (5) |
| 2014–2016 | Aston Villa | 33 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Cardiff City | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 271 | (24) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002 | England U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | England U21 | 12 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | England | 8 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kieran Edward Richardson (born 21 October 1984) is an English former professional footballer. He played in different positions, including winger, left-back, and central midfielder.
Richardson started his football journey as a young player at West Ham United. He then went on to play for several big clubs like Manchester United, Sunderland, Fulham, Aston Villa, and Cardiff City. He also represented England eight times, scoring two goals for his country.
Contents
Kieran Richardson's Club Career
Starting Out in Football
Kieran Richardson was born in Greenwich, London. He went to Riverston School in Lee. When he was growing up, he often watched Arsenal games with his father.
He started playing football at Parkwood Primary School, where his talent was clear from a young age. He became captain of his school team and was even invited to train with Arsenal. Later, he moved to West Ham United to begin his professional training. However, he joined Manchester United in 2001 before playing his first senior game for West Ham.
Time at Manchester United
During his first year at Manchester United, Richardson became a regular player for their reserve team. He was given squad number 42 for the main team but did not play in a match that season.
He made his first appearance for Manchester United on 23 October 2002. He came on as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League match against Olympiacos. He scored his first goal for United in the League Cup on 5 November 2002 against Leicester City. In the 2002–03 season, he played nine times and scored one goal for the first team. He also helped Manchester United's youth team win the 2003 FA Youth Cup.
For the 2003–04 season, he received squad number 23. He only played three times, all in the League Cup and FA Cup.
In the 2004–05 season, he started to play more often with the first team. He had already played nine games and scored one goal by January. However, manager Alex Ferguson decided to loan him out so he could get more experience. Richardson joined West Bromwich Albion on loan, where his former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson was the manager.
Richardson quickly made a big impact at West Brom. He helped them avoid relegation from the Premier League. He played as a central midfielder and scored three goals in 12 games. West Bromwich managed to stay in the league, even though they were at the bottom on the last day of the season.
At the start of the 2005–06 season, Richardson chose not to go back on loan to West Brom. He wanted to earn a regular spot at Old Trafford. He got his chance in September 2005 when he played as a left-back because Gabriel Heinze was injured. He soon returned to midfield and played very well. In October 2005, he signed a new four-year contract with United. That season, he played 36 times and scored six goals.
In the 2006–07 season, Richardson's chances to play regularly were limited. He mostly played in the League Cup and the FA Cup. He scored one of United's goals in their 4–1 FA Cup semi-final win against Watford. This win sent them to the final at the new Wembley Stadium.
Moving to Sunderland
On 16 July 2007, Richardson joined Sunderland for about £5.5 million. He signed a four-year contract with Sunderland, where his former United captain Roy Keane was the manager. After a difficult start, it was found that he had a back injury, which kept him out of action for almost four months.
He scored his first goal for Sunderland on 29 December 2007 against Bolton Wanderers. On 13 January 2008, Richardson scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Portsmouth at the Stadium of Light. He almost scored a third goal but hit the crossbar. He later had a hamstring injury that kept him out of some games.
On 23 August 2008, Richardson scored against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2–1 win at White Hart Lane. On 25 October 2008, he scored the winning goal in the Tyne–Wear derby against Newcastle United with a free kick. In January 2009, Bolton Wanderers were interested in him, but Sunderland's manager said he was not for sale.
Richardson scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against West Ham United, which ended in a 2–2 draw. He played in several positions that season, mostly in central midfield, but also at left-back.
Before the 2010–11 season, Richardson signed a new three-year contract with Sunderland. He became the first-choice left-back, saying that Brazilian player Maicon inspired him to play in this new position. He scored two goals against Blackpool on 22 January. Sunderland manager Steve Bruce praised Richardson's ability to play in different roles. Richardson also scored directly from a free kick in a 4–2 home loss to Chelsea.
Richardson's first goal of the 2011–12 season came in a 2–1 loss at Norwich. He scored again in a defeat at Wolves on 4 December 2011. In that game, he scored the first goal with a long shot and celebrated by taking off his shirt to show a T-shirt that said "I belong to Jesus." He received a yellow card for removing his shirt. Under new manager Martin O'Neill, Richardson played well in his preferred left-wing position. On 18 February 2012, he scored his first FA Cup goal for Sunderland against Arsenal in a 2–0 win.
Playing for Fulham
On 31 August 2012, Richardson joined Fulham from Sunderland for about £2 million. He scored his first goal for Fulham in a 2–2 draw against Southampton on 7 October.
Time at Aston Villa
On 11 July 2014, Richardson signed a two-year contract with Aston Villa. He was reunited with his former Sunderland assistant manager, Roy Keane, who was then Villa's assistant manager. He played his first game for Villa in a 1–0 win against Stoke. He got his first assist in a 2–1 victory against Hull City, setting up a goal for Andreas Weimann. On 13 December 2014, Richardson received a red card for a late tackle during a 1–0 loss to West Brom.
After Aston Villa was relegated from the Premier League, it was announced on 10 June 2016 that Richardson would leave the club when his contract ended.
Later Career Moves
On 12 October 2016, Richardson joined Championship club Cardiff City on a contract until January 2017. He was released from his contract on 29 December 2016.
On 12 April 2017, Richardson had a trial with La Liga club Granada CF.
Kieran Richardson's International Career
While playing for West Brom, Richardson earned his first cap for the England under-21 team on 8 February 2005. After playing well for West Brom, he was called up to the England squad for a trip to the United States.
He started the match against the United States and scored two goals on his England debut, including one directly from a free kick. England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson praised Richardson's "fantastic" debut. He also played as a substitute in England's second match in the United States against Colombia.
After playing for the senior team, Richardson also returned to the under-21 squad. He played in both games of the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification play-off against France, which England lost.
He then made two more substitute appearances for England during their World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Austria. However, he was not chosen by Sven-Göran Eriksson for England's 2006 World Cup squad.
In the 2006–07 season, he continued to be selected by the new England manager Steve McClaren. He made several substitute appearances. He also played more games for the England U21 squad until the end of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Kieran Richardson's Personal Life
Kieran Richardson is married to Natalie, and they have two daughters. Natalie helped him become a born-again Christian. In 2007, he said, "I just want to praise Jesus Christ and go to heaven. That's all I care about."
Kieran Richardson's Achievements
Manchester United Youth
- FA Youth Cup: 2002–03
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2006–07
- Football League Cup: 2005–06
- FA Community Shield: 2003
Aston Villa
- FA Cup runner-up: 2014–15
See also
In Spanish: Kieran Richardson para niños
