Dujuan Richards

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Dujuan Richards
Personal information
Full name Dujuan Odile Richards [1]
Date of birth (2005-11-10) 10 November 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth Port Royal, Jamaica
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) [1]
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Chelsea
Number 37
Youth career
2017–2023 Phoenix Academy
2024– Chelsea
International career‡
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2023– Jamaica 12 (2)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 October 2025

Dujuan Odile Richards (born 10 November 2005) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Chelsea and the Jamaica national team.

Contents

Club career

Richards was born in Port Royal. [2] He started his career with the Phoenix Football Academy at the age of eleven where he remained right up to his signing with Chelsea. [3] He also spent time with the Brooke House College’s football academy in Leicestershire, England. [4] [5]

Following impressive performances on several tours of Europe, he went on trial in Premier League side Newcastle United in February 2023. [6] Richards was quoted as saying he was "expecting to hear positively” from the Magpies. [5]

Chelsea

In March 2023, it was reported that Richards signed a pre-contract deal with Chelsea. [3] [7] On 24 June 2023, it was announced that Richards would join the club after his 18th birthday. [8] [9] The move was officially completed on 12 January 2024. [10] On 8 February 2024, Richards debuted for Chelsea under-18s in a FA Youth Cup tie. [11]

International career

Richards' grandmother is English, and was eligible to represent England at international level. [5]

In March 2023, Richards was called up to the Jamaican senior team for a friendly game against Trinidad and Tobago, with manager Heimir Hallgrímsson stating that he was "ready" to represent the nation, despite his young age. [12] He went on to make his debut in the match on 12 March. [13]

In June 2023, Richards was named to the final squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. [14] In Jamaica's second match of the tournament against Trinidad and Tobago on June 28, he scored his first goal, netting the final tally in a 4–1 victory. [15] He became the youngest goalscorer for Jamaica in CONCACAF Gold Cup. [16]

Personal life

Richards hails from a sporting family, with uncle Nick playing basketball professionally in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns, while another uncle, O'Neil, represented the nation in cricket. [17]

Career statistics

International

As of match played 15 October 2025. [18]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Jamaica 2023101
202400
202521
Total122
Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Richards goal. [18]
List of international goals scored by Dujuan Richards
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
128 June 2023 CityPark, St. Louis, United StatesFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago 4–14–1 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
214 October 2025 Independence Park, Kingston, JamaicaFlag of Bermuda.svg  Bermuda 4–04–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

  1. 1 2 Dujuan Richards at Soccerway
  2. ↑ Cusack, Richard (12 March 2023). "Who is Dujuan Richards? Chelsea seal 'pre-contract' transfer for Jamaican goal machine". football.london. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 Knight, Chris (11 March 2023). "Chelsea steal wonderkid who 'expected' to be Newcastle's next signing after transfer u-turn". chroniclelive.co.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "'Whisper' wins senior call-up after stellar schoolboy football campaign". jamaicaobserver.com. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Knight, Chris (9 March 2023). "Meet the exciting striker 'expecting' to be Newcastle's next signing and holds Alan Shearer ambition". chroniclelive.co.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Knight, Chris (16 February 2023). "The inside story of Newcastle trialist who snubbed lucrative transfer for shot at Magpies dream". chroniclelive.co.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "Dujuan Richards on Instagram: "💙💙#uptheblues💙"". Instagram. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Richards recruited". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  9. ↑ "Chelsea sign teenage Jamaica striker Richards" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Dujuan Richards completes Chelsea move". chelseafc.com. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Dujuan Richards interview: The story behind Whisper, his Chelsea dream, and Sterling influence". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  12. ↑ Reid, Paul (11 March 2023). "'HE'S READY'". jamaicaobserver.com. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Reid, Paul (11 March 2023). "T&T edge Reggae Boyz 1–0 in friendly international". jamaicaobserver.com. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Wheeler, Daniel (19 June 2023). "Demarai Gray named to Gold Cup squad". The Gleaner.
  15. ↑ Mayo, Marc (29 June 2023). "Dujuan Richards gives Chelsea glimpse of potential with first Jamaica goal days after signing".
  16. ↑ Stokes, Jake (29 June 2023). "Chelsea wonderkid sends message as Pochettino gifted 'next Bolt' transfer option". Football.London. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  17. ↑ Kinsella, Nizaar (14 March 2023). "Who is Dujuan 'Whisper' Richards? Chelsea pip Newcastle to signing of 31-goal striker in latest youth drive". standard.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  18. 1 2 Dujuan Richards at National-Football-Teams.com
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