Richard Kingson

Infobox Football biography
fullname = Richard Paul Franck Kingson
"Faruk Gürsoy"
nickname = Magic Hands, Olele


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|6|13
cityofbirth = Accra
countryofbirth = Ghana
height = 6 ft (1.82 m)
currentclub = Wigan Athletic F.C.
clubnumber = 22
position = Goalkeeper
years = 1996–1998
1998–1999
1999–2001
2001–2002
2002–2003
2003–2004
2004–2005
2005–2007
2007
2007–2008
2008-
clubs = Great Olympics
Sakaryaspor Göztepe A.Ş.
Antalyaspor
Elazığspor
Ankaraspor
Galatasaray S.K.
Ankaraspor
→ Hammarby IF (loan)
Birmingham City
Wigan Athletic
caps(goals) = 0? (?)
30 (0)
29 (0)
25 (0)
20 (0)
20 (0)
1 (0)
24 (0)
11 (0)
1 (0)
0 (0)
nationalyears = 1996–
nationalteam = Ghana
nationalcaps(goals) = 58 (1)
pcupdate = 15:32, 15 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 18:40, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Richard Paul Franck Kingson (born 13 June 1978 in Accra, Ghana), also known as Faruk Gürsoy, [ cite web | title = Faruk Gürsoy | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil.php?id=24195 ] is an association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He is currently playing for Wigan Athletic F.C., having been released from his contract with English Championship club Birmingham City F.C.cite web |url=http://www.blues.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1313388,00.html |title=Kingson released |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=2008-05-15 |accessdate=2008-05-15] He represents the Ghana national football team as an international (although he is a naturalised citizen of Turkey).

Club career

Kingson left his native city in 1998 to pursue a career in Turkey, where he represented six different clubs, and became a naturalised citizen, taking a Turkish name.

After a three month period on loan to Swedish club Hammarby IF, he drew attention from other clubs in Europe, [cite web | title = Kingston set for Hammarby exit | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6253342.stm ] including Aalborg, Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. and Birmingham City F.C., eventually joining the latter. On 28 August 2007, Kingson made his debut for Birmingham in a League Cup third round tie against Hereford United F.C. He played once in the Premier League, a 2–0 defeat to Portsmouth F.C. in caretaker manager Eric Black's only game in charge. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7099688.stm |title=Birmingham 0-2 Portsmouth |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2007-11-24 |accessdate=2008-05-13] At the end of the season, co-owner David Sullivan blamed the club's relegation on the quality of previous manager Steve Bruce's signings, branding Kingson a "complete waste of space". [cite news |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=534348 |title=Sullivan slams fans and Bruce buys |accessdate=2008-05-13 |date=2008-05-12 |publisher=ESPNsoccernet] Kingson was disappointed and angered by the perceived unfairness of Sullivan's reaction, saying that "An older person, in his position, has to speak maturely. He has to be a responsible man as co-owner to speak well and set an example to younger people." [cite web |url=http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2008/05/19/richard-kingson-in-a-rage-over-blues-slur-97319-20931217/ |title=Richard Kingson in a rage over Blues 'slur' |work=Birmingham Mail |publisher=Trinity Mirror |author=Tattum, Colin |date=2008-05-19 |accessdate=2008-05-22] The player's contract, which still had one year to run, was cancelled by mutual consent at the end of the 2007–08 season.. He joined up with former manager Steve Bruce when he signed for Wigan Athletic on the 12 September 2008 Where he was given the number 22 shirt [the same number as he wears for Ghana] .

International career

Kingson is the starting goalkeeper of the Ghana national football team, and was called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

During the 2006 World Cup, the Ghanaian FA stated that his name is Kingston;Fact|date=January 2008 however, the player's shirt used the correct spelling of his name, as confirmed by Kingson himself. [ cite web | url = http://www.svenskafans.com/fantv/player/dev_flash.asp?clip=2705&cat=0&list=all | title = Bajens nya målvakt Richard Kingson efter sin första träning med laget. | accessdate = 2008-01-21 | date = 2007-03-31 | publisher = Svenskafans.com | language = English ]

He was voted as an All-Star Goalkeeper during the 2008 African Cup of Nations Tournament in Ghana. The Team of the Tournament was decided by the Technical Study Group (TSG) after careful observations of all the tournament's matches [cite news | date=2008-02-10 | url=http://cafonline.com/?lng=1&cmpt=0&module=media&ANC=&TNews=1&idrub=96400&idnews=82850-777432.html | title=CAF names Best XI for Ghana 2008 ACN | publisher=CAF Online | accessdate=2008-02-10] .

Relations

Kingson is the brother of Laryea Kingston, who is also a member of the Ghana national team. Laryea Kingston plays for Heart of Midlothian F.C. in the Scottish Premier League.

References

External links

*
* [http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/player/170232_KINGSON_Richard.html Profile at the FIFA World Cup website]
* [http://www.blues.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10412~40076,00.html Birmingham City FC profile]
* [http://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=526&kisiId=28180 Turkish career at TFF]