The 17-year-old is set to elevate in a professional environment and develop under goalkeeping coach Akira Fitzgerald
RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to share that Richmond United goalkeeper James Sneddon has signed a USL Academy contract for the remainder of the 2023 season, pending league and federation approval.
“James has trained very well with us over the past year,” Richmond Kickers’ Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach, Darren Sawatzky said. “He is a humble, hard-working goalkeeper that thrives in competitive situations. Jumping into Akira [Fitzgerald]’s everyday goalkeeper union is going to further push him to develop and advance his skillset. We see James pushing to play at the pro level and signing him was a no-brainer as we head into the second half of the 2023 season.”
Sneddon is the third player from Richmond United to sign with the Kickers in 2023 after Beckett Howell and Gabe Cox signed during the preseason – both Howell and Cox made their first-team debuts in the spring. Sneddon is also the fifth Richmond United player to sign with the Kickers under Sawatzky after Damian Gallegos and Ty Johnson signed during the 2021 season and made their first-team debuts.
“My conversations with the coaching staff were very exciting,” Sneddon said. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was little to play for the Kickers, so it didn’t take much convincing on their part and it’s not an opportunity I take lightly.
“The most exciting thing for me is the connection I have with this club. To be able to follow in the footsteps of Kickers legends, and my former coaches, like Sascha Görres, Mike Burke, Matthew Delicâte, Leigh Cowlishaw, Michael Callahan, Owusu Sekyere, and Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi is a humbling honor. And I know my opportunity is only possible because of how they gave back to me and supported the Richmond soccer pipeline.”
Sneddon’s signing as an academy player on the Kickers’ roster represents both an achieved pursuit for the player and a continued emphasis by the Kickers’ professional team to develop talented local kids.
“James’ signing with us is exactly the reason why a full pathway should exist: since he was a little boy, James has come to City Stadium to watch the Kickers, dreaming about being part of the team one day, and now he is taking the next step in realizing that dream,” Richmond Kickers’ Head Assistant Coach and Richmond United Technical Director, Mika Elovaara said. “He is a promising modern goalkeeper and his humility and work ethic have been paramount in his development. As he got his first opportunity to experience our environment, he seized the moment and earned a contract with us.
“We believe that [James’ signing] is the first of hopefully many similar examples of the productivity of our partnership and cooperation with Richmond United; James wouldn’t be here without the experienced guidance of RU U19 Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw and RU Goalkeeping Coach Marty Baker. Having the right people in place in all parts of the pathway is crucial for the success of the young players in the RVA community.”
Sneddon comes into the Kickers’ dressing room with the foundations of a modern goalkeeper. In possession, he is comfortable building out from the back and acting as an 11th field player, and, when defending between the pipes, he is aggressive to come off his line and defend space.
“Having the opportunity to sign James into the first team environment was a great option for us because we see a lot of potential in him and his ability to take the necessary steps into the professional game,” Richmond Kickers’ Goalkeeping Coach, Akira Fitzgerald said. “James has a great technical foundation in many of the crucial areas of goalkeeping and having him in the daily first-team environment will allow him to continue to grow these skills while also being pushed to the limit to further develop his game.
“He did a great job of taking his opportunity when he first trained with us and showed that the speed of the game at this level was not too much for him and I think he has the chance to develop into a top goalkeeper as we push him to strive toward his full potential.”
As Sneddon begins his career as a member of the Kickers, he will have the opportunity to learn from a coach and goalkeeper who is an annual fixture in USL League One’s end-of-season awards both as the top player at his position and one of the best players in the league.
“Akira is a true role model that I look up to both as a human and as a goalkeeper,” Sneddon said. “He’s one of the most professional people I’ve ever been around; the way he takes care of his body and his attention to detail is incredible. I hope to be able to emulate both his demeanor and his consistency of performances and be able to have as fruitful of a career as he has put together.”
Sneddon is available for selection ahead of the Kickers’ next match this Saturday.
The Kickers continue their three-match homestand this Saturday, June 24th when they host One Knoxville SC during the First Match of the Summer Night. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free pair of Up The Roos sunglasses. The doors at City Stadium are set to open at 5:45 p.m. ahead of the 7 p.m. kickoff. Tickets are available at richmondkickers.com/tickets.
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TRANSACTION: James Sneddon signs with the Kickers on a USL Academy contract for the remainder of the 2023 USL League One season on June 20, 2023.
Rostered Players for 2023 as of June 20, 2023
GOALKEEPERS: Akira Fitzgerald, Will Palmquist, James Sneddon
DEFENDERS: Nathan Aune, Michael Hornsby, Dakota Barnathan, Simon Fitch, Otavio Zerbini, Beckett Howell, Jake Mecham, Chris Cole
MIDFIELDERS: Chandler O’Dwyer, João Gomiero, Nil Vinyals, Zaca Moran, Gabe Cox
FORWARDS: Emiliano Terzaghi, Matthew Bentley, Owayne Gordon, Luke Pavone, David Olsen, Justin Sukow, Kharlton Belmar, Ethan Vanacore-Decker, Ryan Sierakowski
