Richard Kingson facts for kids
Kingson with Ghana in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 June 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1996 | Great Olympics | 0 | (0) |
| 1996–2005 | Galatasaray | 27 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | → Sakaryaspor (loan) | 21 | (0) |
| 1999–2001 | → Göztepe (loan) | 19 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | → Antalyaspor (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | → Elazığspor (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Ankaraspor | 4 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Hammarby (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Birmingham City | 1 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Wigan Athletic | 4 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Blackpool | 20 | (0) |
| 2013 | Doxa Katokopias | 10 | (0) |
| 2014 | Balıkesirspor | 13 | (0) |
| 2015 | Great Olympics | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 165 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996–2012 | Ghana | 93 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2017–2019 | Ghana (goalkeeper coach) | ||
| 2021 | Ghana A' (goalkeeper coach) | ||
| 2021–2024 | Ghana (goalkeeper coach) | ||
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Richard Kingson (born 13 June 1978) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. Today, he works as a goalkeeper coach for the Ghana national football team.
Kingson is also known by his Turkish name, Faruk Gürsoy. Sometimes, his last name is spelled Kingston. This is the same spelling as his brother, Laryea Kingston. The different spellings happened because of "irregularity on his identity documents." People in Ghana even called him "the man who got the 't' off his surname."
After leaving his home country, Kingson played for many clubs. He played in Turkey, Sweden for Hammarby, and England for Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, and Blackpool. He was a vice-captain for the Ghana national football team.
Contents
Richard Kingson's Football Journey
Playing in Turkey
Kingson left his home city of Accra in 1996 to play football in Turkey. He played for six different clubs there. He also became a Turkish citizen and took the Turkish name Faruk Gürsoy. His first club in Turkey was Galatasaray S.K.. He signed with them in December 1996.
Time in England
After playing on loan for the Swedish club Hammarby IF, Kingson caught the eye of other European clubs. He joined Birmingham City in England.
Birmingham City
Kingson played his first game for Birmingham on 28 August 2007. This was in a League Cup match against Hereford United. He also played one game in the Premier League. His contract with the club ended by agreement at the end of the 2007–08 season.
Wigan Athletic
Kingson then joined Wigan Athletic on 12 September 2008. He wore the number 22 shirt, which was also his number for Ghana. He played his first game for Wigan in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur. He also made his first Premier League appearance for Wigan on 9 May 2009. He was released from Wigan when his contract ended after the 2009–10 season.
Blackpool
After leaving Wigan, Kingson signed with Blackpool in September 2010. They were new to the Premier League. He played his first game for Blackpool on 10 November 2010. Kingson played more games when the main goalkeeper was injured. He was released from Blackpool on 26 May 2011.
Later Club Career
After two years away from the game, Kingson signed a one-year deal with Cypriot First Division club Doxa Katokopias in July 2013. He played his first game for them on the first day of the league season.
In January 2014, Kingson went back to Turkey. He joined Balıkesirspor, a team in the Turkish second division.
In 2015, Kingson signed a short contract with Great Olympics in Ghana. He later said he still hoped to play for Asante Kotoko before he retired.
International Career with Ghana
Kingson was the main goalkeeper for the Ghana national football team. He played in many big tournaments, including:
- The 2006 FIFA World Cup
- The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations
- The 2010 FIFA World Cup
During the 2006 World Cup, the Ghanaian FA said his name was Kingston. However, his shirt showed the correct spelling, Kingson, which he confirmed.
He was chosen as an All-Star Goalkeeper at the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana. This award is given to the best players in the tournament.
In 2008, he scored a goal for Ghana in a friendly match against Tanzania. It was a late goal that made the game a 1-1 draw.
As the first-choice goalkeeper and team captain, he helped Ghana reach the final of the 2010 African Cup of Nations. He was again chosen for the all-star team.
In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Kingson played in Ghana's first game against Serbia. Ghana won 1-0. In another group game, he made a mistake that led to Australia scoring, and the game ended 1-1. Even though they lost their final group game 1-0 to Germany, Ghana still moved to the next stage.
In the Round of 16 match against the USA, Kingson made many saves. Ghana won 2-1 after extra time. The team then reached the quarter-finals. In that game, a goal was stopped by a Uruguayan player's hand, leading to a penalty kick for Ghana. However, Ghana's striker Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty. Ghana then lost in a penalty shootout.
Personal Life
Richard Kingson has a brother named Laryea Kingston, who also played for the Ghana national team. Richard is a naturalised citizen of Turkey, and his Turkish name is Faruk Gürsoy.
Kingson is married to Adelaide Tawiah. Their wedding took place in Ghana. Some of Kingson's teammates, like Asamoah Gyan and John Paintsil, were at the wedding.
Coaching Career
After retiring from playing, Kingson became a coach. In May 2017, he was named the goalkeeper's coach for the Ghana national football team. He left this role in 2019 but returned in August 2021.
Kingson also worked as a goalkeeper's coach for his former club, Accra Great Olympics, in January 2021. The next month, he coached for Accra Hearts of Oak for a short time.
Honours and Awards
Kingson has won several awards and titles during his career:
- Galatasaray S.K.
- Süper Lig: 1996–97, 1997–98
- Turkish Cup: 2004–05
- Ghana
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2010
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2008
- Individual Awards
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2010
Images for kids
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Kingson with Ghana in 2008
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Kingson playing for Ghana at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations
