Player Profile

Despite playing every minute of Ghana’s World Cup qualifying campaign as captain and regularly being acknowledged as the best goalkeeper in Africa, Kingson’s club career in recent years has been puzzling to say the least.

He moved to Birmingham in 2007 but played just one game for them and was criticised by club chairman David Sullivan. This prompted a move to Wigan but he has started just three league games for the Latics in two seasons and has not made an appearance since May 2009. He is expected to be released this summer.

He played for Ghanaian sides Rago International, Agbozume Weavers and Accra Great Olympics, but it was his performances in helping Ghana’s Under-23 side qualify for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that got him a move to Turkey. He played for a host of clubs before failing a drugs test in 2005 while at Ankaraspor.

After serving a six-month suspension imposed by Uefa, he rebuilt his career at Swedish side Hammarby and was spotted by then Birmingham boss Steve Bruce. His international career has panned out vastly differently to his club travails and he has twice been voted into the Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2010.

He scored his first international goal when he headed in an equalizer against Tanzania in 2008. He has been included in Ghana’s World Cup squad despite a persistent shoulder injury.

His name has prompted much confusion over the years. He is registered with Fifa as Richard Kingston, but wears Kingson on his shirt despite his brother, Laryea, going by the name of Kingston. To confuse matters further, during his time in Turkey he became a Turkish citizen and called himself Faruk Gursoy, and he also has the nickname Oleley.