Wycombe Wanderers have recently recruited a player who faced homelessness in his native country due to his sexual orientation.

Richard Kone’s remarkable journey took another positive turn as he secured a transfer to the League One side. The 20-year-old striker received a warm welcome from the Adams Park crowd before Monday’s 3-2 victory over Bristol Rovers.

Kone had previously made a name for himself at Athletic Newham in the Non-League circuit, reportedly scoring more than 100 goals across three seasons in the Essex Senior League. He now stands as the second openly gay player in England’s top four divisions.

Originally from Ivory Coast, Kone found himself without a home after revealing his sexual orientation to his parents. While not illegal, homosexuality faces widespread discrimination in his home country without legal protection.

Moving to the UK, Kone represented Ivory Coast in the 2019 Homeless World Cup in Cardiff. His journey progressed with trials at Colchester United and Brentford, showcasing his talent with 21 goals this season.

Though he’s reconciled with his mother, Kone recalled his tumultuous past: “I was living on the street after I had some problems with my parents because I am homosexual. It was terribly difficult being homeless in my country.”

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield, the first footballer to endorse the Football v Homophobia Charter for Action, expressed his thoughts on the transfer: “It’s been a long saga. Richard played for us pre-season and we looked to try and sign him in the summer window.”

“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for various reasons so it’s been four or five months in the making. Richard’s a young lad and we have to be careful how much is put on his shoulders.”

“But he knows where the back of the net is and he’s been working hard with us behind the scenes. We have him on a long contract and we’re looking to build him into a good player.”

“We have a few young players we are excited about and Richard is one of them. We want to have our own assets here and develop our own players. We’re pleased to get his move over the line.”

Wycombe Wanderers performance and stats

Wycombe Wanderers is currently 16th in the League One with 28 points.

In the last 24 games, it has won 7 times, drawn 7 times, and lost 10 times. In its last match, Wycombe Wanderers won 3-2 against Bristol Rovers.​​

It has a negative goal difference after scoring 28 goals and conceding 33.​

Wycombe Wanderers will play the next match in League One against Wigan Athletic on Saturday 18th of November in Wigan.​