| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Kone [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 July 2003 [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 | 3 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC) | |||
Richard Kone (born 15 July 2003) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Queens Park Rangers.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
| 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 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 171 | 111 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 41 | 31 | 225 | 152 | ||
Wycombe Wanderers
Individual