![]() “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. 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. Sneddon comes into the Kickers’ dressing room with the foundations of a modern goalkeeper. 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.” Photo © Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography “We believe that 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. As he got his first opportunity to experience our environment, he seized the moment and earned a contract with us. “He is a promising modern goalkeeper and his humility and work ethic have been paramount in his development. “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. 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. ![]() And I know my opportunity is only possible because of how they gave back to me and supported the Richmond soccer pipeline.” 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. “The most exciting thing for me is the connection I have with this club. “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. “My conversations with the coaching staff were very exciting,” Sneddon said. Photo © Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography 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. 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. 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.” Jumping into Akira ’s everyday goalkeeper union is going to further push him to develop and advance his skillset. “He is a humble, hard-working goalkeeper that thrives in competitive situations. “James has trained very well with us over the past year,” Richmond Kickers’ Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach, Darren Sawatzky said. – 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. The 17-year-old is set to elevate in a professional environment and develop under goalkeeping coach Akira Fitzgerald Photo © Nathan Heintschel | Illustration by Nathan Heintschel, Director of Communications and Digital Media 2023 Richmond Kickers USL League One Stats.To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy Notice. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. Click ‘Continue without accepting’ or ‘Customise Cookies’ to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices or learn more. Third parties use cookies for the purposes of displaying and measuring personalised advertisements, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. ![]() ![]() This includes using first- and third-party cookies which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. 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