Richard Kone

Richard Kone (born 15 July 2003) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Wycombe Wanderers.

Club career

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. 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. That season, he had trials with Colchester United as well as with a Premier League club. The following season, Kone scored 40 goals in all competitions. Despite the interest from teams in higher tiers, Kone's visa status prevented him from playing professional football.

Wycombe Wanderers

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. He had started his trial with Wycombe in the summer of 2023, and scored in friendly matches against Aldershot Town and Barnet. 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. Later that month, Kone made his league debut against Lincoln City and scored his first league goal against Fleetwood Town.

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. He signed a contract extension with the club in November 2024. 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. On 27 April 2025, he was named EFL League One Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season.

International career

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

Personal life

Kone has a young daughter and, as of 2024, a girlfriend. 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. He reconciled with his mother prior to playing in the Homeless World Cup in 2019. 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.

Career statistics

Honours

Wycombe Wanderers
*EFL Trophy runner-up: 2023–24

Individual
* EFL League One Team of the Season: 2024–25
*EFL League One Player of the Season: 2024–25
*EFL League One Young Player of the Season: 2024–25

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kone, Richard
Living people
2003 births
Footballers from Abidjan
Ivorian men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Ivorian LGBTQ people
LGBTQ association football players
Eastern Counties Football League players
Essex Senior Football League players
English Football League players
Athletic Newham F.C. players
Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players
Ivorian expatriate men's footballers
Ivorian expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Homeless people
21st-century Ivorian sportsmen