Former USL Academy goalkeeper matched league record with three clean sheets in first three starts | Image Credit: Richmond Kickers
RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Kickers today announced that goalkeeper and former academy signee James Sneddon has signed his first-ever professional contract with the club, pending league and federation approval. The 19-year-old won the starting job last season and returns to play for his hometown club on a multi-year contract.
"James earned this opportunity with his development over the past couple years," Richmond Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky said. "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."
"I'm incredibly excited for and proud of James," Kickers Goalkeeping Coach Evan 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 is 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 and 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 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 USL Jägermeister Cup match of the season. Facing off against Spokane Velocity FC, Sneddon helped the Kickers to a 3-2 win.
From there, he took the pitch through the end of the season and tied a USL League One record for the longest clean sheet streak from a regular season debut with three matches under his belt. The seven matches featured four wins, two draws and one loss but helped the Kickers to finish off their playoff push and 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 postseason and Sneddon showed up well against the 2024 Players' Shield winners. Sneddon and the Kickers kept it close with two noteworthy saves during the game. 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 a USL 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.
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