Kieran Richardson, born on October 21, 1984 in Greenwich, is an English midfielder who usually plays on the left side in the field. He is capable of playing either as a central-midfielder or as a left-back, depending upon the situation. During his childhood, he attended the Riverston Independent Day School in Lee, London.
Kieran Richardson began his international football career with the England Under-16 national team and led it to the final of the Milk Cup tournament in 2001, in which he was named the Player of the Tournament. He moved to the Under-21 level and made his debut for the team on February 8, 2005 in a friendly match against Netherlands. In May 2005, Kieran Richardson was called to represent the England senior national team for the tour of the United States (US). He started in the 2-1 winning game against the US and scored two goals. During the same tour, Kieran Richardson played as a substitute in the next match against Colombia. He was called back to the England Under-21 team for the 2006 European Championship qualification play-off against France. He made substitute appearances for England in the 2006 World Cup qualification matches against Wales and Austria. Further during the 2006-07 season, Kieran Richardson made several international substitute appearances. He played his last three games for the national Under-21 team in the 2007 United European Football Association (UEFA) Under-21 Football Championship.
Kieran Richardson started playing football at the Parkwood Primary School and his performance earned him the captaincy of the team and an invitation to train with Arsenal. He joined the youth club of West Ham United for getting trained professionally, and in 2001, he signed with Manchester United. Initially playing for the club’s reserve team, Kieran Richardson moved to the first-team, and on October 23, 2002, he debuted as a late substitute in a match against Olympiacos, a Greek club, in the UEFA Champions League. On November 5, 2002, Kieran Richardson scored his first goal in a League Cup match against Liecester City. During the 2002-03 season, he scored one goal in nine games and was instrumental in winning the 2003 Football Association (FA) Youth Cup. During the 2003-04 season, he featured mainly in the League Cup and Football Association (FA) Cup matches, and in the following season, he scored a goal from nine matches. In 2004, he was loaned to West Bromwich Albion, and Kieran Richardson debuted for the club in a 2-2 home draw against Crystal Palace. Playing as a central midfielder, he scored three goals from 12 appearances and helped Albion avoid relegation. He returned to Manchester for the 2005-06 season, and in September 2005, he made his start for the club by playing in the left-back position owing to his teammate, Gabriel Heinze’s injury. Soon he switched to his normal midfield position, and in the following month, Kieran Richardson signed a new four-year contract with the club. During the 2005-06 season, he played thirty-six games for the club, adding six goals to his credit and helped his team win the Football League Cup. Kieran Richardson played well in the League Cup and the FA Cup matches of the 2006-07 season, and he scored a goal in the 4-1 winning semifinal of the FA Cup against Watford. The club, which was runners-up in the 2005-06 Premier League, became the champions of the same tournament in the following season. On July 16, 2007, Kieran Richardson signed with the Sunderland football club for a deal speculated to be worth around £5.5 million. He netted his first goal for the club on December 29th against Bolton Wanderers, and on January 13, 2008, he scored a brace in a 2-0 victory against Portsmouth. On August 23, 2008, Kieran Richardson scored a goal in the 56th minute of a game against Tottenham Hotspur and helped his club win the match 2-1.
