Richard Kone

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Richard Kone
Personal information
Full name Richard Kone[1]
Date of birth (2003-07-15) 15 July 2003 (age 22)[2]
Place of birth Abidjan, Ivory Coast[3]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Queens Park Rangers
Number 22
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2024 Athletic Newham[a] 109 (88)
2024–2025 Wycombe Wanderers 59 (21)
2025– Queens Park Rangers 2 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 00:02, 24 August 2025 (UTC)

Richard Kone (born 15 July 2003) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Queens Park Rangers.

Club career

[edit]

Lopes Tavares/Athletic Newham

[edit]

In 2019, after arriving in the United Kingdom to play in the Homeless World Cup, Kone began playing for Lopes Tavares, later to be renamed Athletic Newham, scoring 20 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions for the club in his first season at the club.[4] In 2021, Athletic Newham were promoted to the Essex Senior League. During the club's first season in the league, Kone scored 42 goals in 48 games in all competitions, finishing as the league's top scorer with 31 goals.[5] That season, he had trials with Colchester United as well as with a Premier League club.[6] The following season, Kone scored 40 goals in all competitions.[7] Despite the interest from teams in higher tiers, Kone's visa status prevented him from playing professional football.[8]

He was also part of the Athletic Newham team which reached the FA Vase fourth round for the first time before Athletic Newham were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player against the eventual runners-up Littlehampton Town.[9]

Wycombe Wanderers

[edit]

After scoring a further 21 goals for Newham from the start of the 2023–24 season, Kone joined Wycombe Wanderers in January 2024 on a permanent contract, after an extended trial.[10] He had started his trial with Wycombe in the summer of 2023,[11] and scored in friendly matches against Aldershot Town and Barnet.[12] He made a goalscoring debut for Wycombe Wanderers on 9 January 2024, in the EFL Trophy quarter finals against West Ham United's under-21's, scoring the second goal in a 2–1 victory.[13] Later that month, Kone made his league debut against Lincoln City and scored his first league goal against Fleetwood Town.[14]

In his first full season in the EFL, Kone came off the bench to score a perfect hat-trick against Peterborough United in nine minutes in a 3–1 win, this being Wycombe's fastest hat-trick in the EFL, beating Craig Mackail-Smith's 11 minute hat-trick against Crawley Town in 2017, also the first hattrick since Wycombe beat Lincoln City 3–1, where Joe Jacobson scored 2 direct corner goals as well as a Free Kick in 2019.[15] He signed a contract extension with the club in November 2024.[16] Following the departure of manager Matt Bloomfield to Luton Town, Kone was reportedly subject of a £6 million bid from the Championship club in the January transfer window, which Wycombe rejected.[17] On 27 April 2025, he was named EFL League One Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season.[18]

Queens Park Rangers

[edit]

In August 2025, Kone signed for Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee.[19]

He made his Queens Park Rangers debut as a second-half substitute during the 2–1 loss against Watford in the EFL Championship on 16 August 2025.[20] He scored his first QPR goal during the 7–1 loss against Coventry City on 23 August 2025.[21]

International career

[edit]

Kone represented the Ivory Coast at the Homeless World Cup in 2019.[22] On 27 May 2025, he was called up to the Ivory Coast U23s for a friendly.[23]

Personal life

[edit]

Kone has a young daughter and, as of 2024, a girlfriend.[8] He said he was gay publicly as a teenager during the Homeless World Cup, explaining that he had become homeless after coming out to his family.[8][24] He reconciled with his mother prior to playing in the Homeless World Cup in 2019.[22] When he became a professional footballer in 2024, representatives said he did not want to comment on his personal life; no clarifications were made for his previous statements.[8]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played 23 August 2025[25]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Athletic Newham[a] 2019–20[4] Eastern Counties League Division One South 20 14 0 0 — 11[b] 6 31 20
2020–21[26] Eastern Counties League Division One South 8 4 0 0 — 1[c] 1 9 5
2021–22[27][28] Essex Senior League 36 31 2 2 — 10[d] 9 48 42
2022–23[29] Essex Senior League 32 28 2 0 — 8[e] 12 42 40
2023–24[30] Essex Senior League 13 11 3 5 — 2[f] 2 18 18
Total 109 88 7 7 0 0 32 30 148 125
Wycombe Wanderers 2023–24 EFL League One 17 3 0 0 — 4[g] 1 21 4
2024–25 EFL League One 41 18 3 1 3 2 5[h] 0 52 21
2025–26 EFL League One 1 0 — — — 1 0
Total 59 21 3 1 3 2 9 1 74 25
Queens Park Rangers 2025–26 EFL Championship 2 1 0 0 — 0 0 2 1
Total 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
Career total 170 110 10 8 3 2 41 31 224 151
  1. ^ a b "Lopes Tavares" until the 2020–21 season when the club changed its name to Athletic Newham
  2. ^ Two appearances in FA Vase, three appearances and two goals in Eastern Counties League Cup, four appearances and one goal in Eastern Counties League First Division Knockout Cup, two appearances and three goals in London Senior Trophy
  3. ^ One appearance and one goal in London Senior Trophy
  4. ^ Five appearances and six goals in FA Vase, one appearance in London Senior Cup, one appearance and one goal in Essex Senior Cup, two appearances and one goal in Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy, one appearance and one goal in Errington Challenge Cup
  5. ^ Two appearances and one goal in FA Vase, two appearances and six goals in Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy, four appearances and five goals in Errington Challenge Cup
  6. ^ Two appearances and two goals in the FA Vase
  7. ^ Four appearances and one goal in the EFL Trophy
  8. ^ Three appearances in the EFL Trophy and two appearances in the League One play-offs

Honours

[edit]

Wycombe Wanderers

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Club list of registered players: As at 17th May 2025" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Footballer from Ivory Coast secures transfer to English pro club Wycombe". Outsports. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Welcome, Côte d'Ivoire". Homeless World Cup. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Richard Kone Player Stats". Full-Time FA. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Richard Kone Player Stats". Full-Time FA. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Colchester United target Richard Kone links up with Premier League club". Gazette News. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Richard Kone Player Stats". Full-Time FA. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Holmes, Jon (6 January 2024). "Footballer who said he was gay signs for pro club Wycombe". Outsports. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  9. ^ "FA issues update on Brockenhurst's FA Vase fifth-round tie". Bournemouth Echo. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Richard Kone: Wycombe Wanderers sign prolific non-league striker from Athletic Newham". BBC Sport. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Wycombe Wanderers sign Richard Kone from Athletic Newham". Bucks Free Press. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Wanderers secure Richard Kone on a permanent deal". Extra Time. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  13. ^ Richings, James (9 January 2024). "Richard Kone scores on Wycombe debut against West Ham U21s". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  14. ^ Wanderers, Wycombe (27 January 2024). "Report: Wycombe 2-2 Fleetwood". Wycombe Wanderers. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  15. ^ Wanderers, Wycombe (19 October 2024). "Report: Wycombe 3-1 Peterborough". Wycombe Wanderers. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Striker Kone extends Wycombe contract". BBC Sport. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Gossip: Luton make £6m bid for Wycombe striker Kone". BBC Sport. 28 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  18. ^ EFL (27 April 2025). "LIVE: EFL Awards 2025". EFL. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  19. ^ Peddy, Chris (13 August 2025). "Richard Kone: QPR sign Wycombe Wanderers striker for undisclosed fee". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Match Wrap: Watford 2-1 QPR". Watford Football Club. 16 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  21. ^ "Match Report: Coventry City 7, QPR 1". Queens Park Rangers Football Club. 23 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  22. ^ a b "WELCOME, CÔTE D'IVOIRE". Homeless World Cup. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  23. ^ SARL, NAS (24 May 2025). "Amical U23 : Issa Fofana, Abakar Sylla, Malick Yalcouyé, Richard Koné, … la liste des Eléphanteaux face à la Hollande". Mondialsport.ci.
  24. ^ "Josh Cavallo became the world's only current top-tier gay male professional footballer". Gazette Sport. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  25. ^ "Côte d'Ivoire - R. Kone - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  26. ^ "Richard Kone Player Stats". Full-Time FA. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Leading Goal Scorers". The Official Website Of The Essex Senior Football League. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Richard Kone Player Stats". Full-Time FA. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Richard Kone Player Stats". Full-Time FA. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Richard Kone Player Stats". Full-Time FA. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  31. ^ Harby, Chris (7 April 2024). "Peterborough United 2–1 Wycombe Wanderers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  32. ^ a b c Ashton, Ben (27 April 2025). "Burnley's Parker and Blades' Hamer win EFL awards". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  33. ^ a b "Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey win PFA Player of the Year awards for 2024/25". Sky Sports. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.