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He may have just signed for QPR, but Richard Kone has put pen to paper on another deal this week which will have the world of football singing his praises, and rightly so.
After a long and heated battle for his signature this summer, it was QPR who won the race for one of League One’s most coveted strikers.
It’s exactly the kind of signing Julien Stephan needs if he is to push QPR into the top half of the table and beyond this season.
But, before we really see what he’s capable of for his new team, we’re taking some time to celebrate what Kone just did off the pitch this week.
- READ MORE: Wycombe Wanderers eye former Charlton Athletic forward in hunt for Richard Kone replacement
Richard Kone’s new boot deal is brilliant
Many football fans may not know this but Richard Kone made his big breakthrough in football after playing at the Homeless World Cup in 2019. His performances at the tournament in Cardiff that year caught the eye of Athletic Newham, and the rest is history.
After blazing a trail in non-league football, Wycombe Wanderers snapped the Ivorian forward up, and he’s not looked back since.
But, Kone’s latest sponsorship deal with Skechers is a huge show of recognition for where he came from and the struggles he faced, with the QPR man donating 700 pairs of boots to players taking part in the 2025 Homeless World Cup as part of the deal.
On the gesture, Kone said: “Playing at the Homeless World Cup in Cardiff in 2019 was life changing. It gave me the platform to grow and set me on the career path to where I am today playing in the Championship with QPR.
“Representing Skechers on the pitch with the chance to give back by donating Skechers Football boots to all the players heading to Oslo this month is a real privilege and I’m grateful to be in the position to do it. I know how powerful this tournament can be, and I want every player to feel the same hope and opportunity that I experienced six-years ago.”
From a Skechers perspective, David Weinberg (COO) added: “The Homeless World Cup illustrates the power of sport to change lives and Skechers will be there to ensure every player, no matter their background or resources, will have the chance to lace up in Skechers Football boots to help them perform their best at this important tournament.”
- READ MORE: QPR to bank seven-figure windfall as Eberechi Eze set for £68m Arsenal move after Spurs snub
QPR need Richard Kone to be on fire this season
Despite some pre-season hype (especially from us in our Championship preview for 2025/26), QPR are yet to register a win this term.
However, it’s worth remembering QPR’s signings this summer include Kone, Kwame Poku, and perhaps most importantly, a new contract for club captain Jimmy Dunne.
Once those new arrivals really settle in, especially Kone, we could see a totally different QPR side and one that finally lives up to those signs of promise we saw last season under Marti Cifuentes.
If Kone can even get close to his goal returns of 2024/25, QPR may actually be able to break the top ten this year and be a dark horse in the play-off chase.