The 19-year-old young gun in goal returns to his hometown club on a multiyear contract
The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce that goalkeeper and former academy-signee James Sneddon signed his first-ever pro contract with the club. The 19-year-old won the starting job last season and returns to play for his hometown club on a multiyear contract.
“James earned this opportunity with his development over the past couple years,” Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky. “When he was called upon this past year, he delivered and we knew he was ready for the next step. We are happy for him and we look forward to watching him continue to grow and help us win games. Having young, local players litter our roster is a blessing, and James is one of the young Richmond players we look forward to showcasing each Saturday in 2025.”
In terms of position-specific training, Sneddon has worked with Kickers Goalkeeping Coach Evan Munn since Munn’s arrival to the club from Oregon State.
“I’m incredibly excited for and proud of James,” Munn said. “Over the past year, he showed an immense dedication to the fine details in goalkeeping. He has done a great job taking charge of his own development and always seeking the next opportunity for growth in the game. As he continued to grow both physically and technically, we had a stretch of games in 2024 where he made great strides in application to the game that greatly benefitted the team. He is a Richmond kid through and through, and I am excited to continue facilitating his development as a high level goalkeeper and as a young man.”
Sneddon played in seven regular season matches last year, starting in each of them. On the pitch and in training, he showed off his skills as a modern goalkeeper. Capable of both acting as an 11th field player with the ball at his feet and aggressively coming off his line to keep the net clean, Sneddon quickly improved, and worked to make an impact.
“I’m really excited to begin this next chapter of my journey,” Sneddon said. “Last season exceeded all of my expectations and I’m truly grateful to the coaching staff for the trust they have shown in me and for extending this opportunity to begin my professional career, here, in the place where everything started for me.”
His club debut came in 2023 during a friendly against Comunicaciones FC — during which he did not concede a goal — but Sneddon would first step on the pitch in 2024 for the final Jagermeister Cup match of the season. Facing off against the Spokane Velocity, Sneddon helped the Kickers to a 3-2 win.
From there, he took the pitch through the end of the season and tied the USL League One record for longest clean sheet streak from a regular season debut with three matches under his belt. The seven matches saw 4 wins, 2 draws and one loss. And Sneddon’s helped the Kickers in their playoff push to earn a spot in the postseason.
“I’ve seen huge amounts of growth during my time here, both as a player and a person,” Sneddon said. “I think that the environment we have here enables me to continue this process of growth and help me to achieve my goals while also allowing me to give back to the community that has provided so much for me.”
At the start of November, the Kickers took on Union Omaha in the first round of the playoffs and Sneddon showed up well against the 2024 Players’ Shield winners. With two noteworthy saves during the game — one of them earning a save of the week nod — Sneddon and the Kickers kept it close. Omaha eventually snuck one in on a counterattack to move on but not without a fight from the Richmond side that featured the staunch back line controlled by Sneddon.
“I’m lucky to have had great veteran role models and mentors that have been great to me and are always there if I need someone to bounce ideas off or need anything,” Sneddon said “It’s also been great to have friends my own age, many of whom I’ve known for years, to share the experience with. I think that is one of the things that makes Richmond so special, we have such a great variety of backgrounds, ages, and experiences, but everyone is treated with respect and dignity no matter their status or standing on the outside.”
The Richmond native originally joined the Kickers on an academy contract in June 2023.
“The past couple years with the Kickers have been a dream come true for a little kid that would show up early to be a ball boy, or to watch the goalkeepers warm up. To me, Saturdays have always meant Kickers games, and I’m thrilled to keep this tradition going,” Sneddon said.
Sneddon and the rest of the Kickers side will be back in City Stadium on March 22! Season Tickets are available NOW! Be a part of every out-of-your-seat experience! Additional information can be found at richmondkickers.com/seasontickets.Stay up to date with all of the Kickers news at RichmondKickers.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Download the Richmond Kickers mobile app for news, contests, and more!
