Amir Richardson

Michael Amir Junior Richardson (Arabic: مايكل أمير جونيور ريتشاردسون; born 24 January 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Fiorentina. Born in France, he represents the Morocco national team.

Amir Richardson

Richardson with Morocco in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Michael Amir Richardson
Date of birth	(2002-01-24) 24 January 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth	Nice, France
Height	1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)[1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Fiorentina
Number	24
Youth career
2008–2012	AS Fontonne Antibes
2012–2019	Nice
2019–2021	Le Havre
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–2023	Le Havre	68	(3)
2023–2024	Reims	28	(3)
2024–	Fiorentina	18	(0)
International career‡
2021	France U20	6	(0)
2023–	Morocco U23	14	(2)
2023–	Morocco	8	(0)
Medal record Representing  Morocco U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Winner 2023 Morocco Olympic Games 2024 Paris Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:26, 16 February 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:01, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Le Havre

Richardson came through the ranks of OGC Nice youth system, before joining Le Havre AC.^[2]

He made his professional debut for on 15 May 2021, starting the Ligue 2 game against the league champions ESTAC Troyes.^[3] On 9 July 2021, he signed his first professional contract with Le Havre.^[4] He was named Ligue 2's Pépite du mois ("Nugget of the Month") for December 2021^[5] and was considered by many sources to have been one of the revelations of the 2021–22 season.^[6][7][8][9]

Reims

On 1 September 2022, he transferred to Reims signing a contract until 2026. He returned to Le Havre on loan for the 2022–23 season^[10] where he was part of the team that won the Ligue 2 championship^[11] and named in the UNFP Team of the Year.^[12]

Richardson made his Ligue 1 debut for Reims in a 2–1 loss to Olympique Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome on 12 August 2023.^[13] He scored his first goal in Ligue 1 in a 2–1 loss to Stade Brestois on 17 September 2023.^[14]

Fiorentina

On 12 August 2024, Richardson joined Serie A club Fiorentina.^[15]

International career

Richardson is the son of the American former basketball player Micheal Ray Richardson and a Moroccan mother, Ilham Ngadi, born in Fez, Morocco.^[16][17] He played for the France U20s in 2021. He was called up to the Morocco U23s in March 2023. Born in France, Richardson is eligible to represent either France, Morocco or the United States at international level.^[18]

In June 2023, he was included in the final squad of the Moroccan under-23 national team for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted on home soil,^[19][20] where the Atlas Lions won their first title^[21][22] and qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[21][23]

In May 2023, Richardson was approached by the United States Soccer Federation, to see if the player would be willing to change his allegiance to the United States national team. He ultimately turned them down.^[24]

In September 2023, Richardson made his senior debut for the Morocco national team, in a 1–0 winning effort against Burkina Faso.^[25] Richardson was included in the official Morocco 2023 Africa Cup of Nations squad.^[26]

Personal life

He is the son of former NBA player Michael Ray Richardson, who had moved to France to continue his basketball career.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 16 February 2025

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club statistics

Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Le Havre	2020–21	Ligue 2	1	0	0	0	—		—		1	0
	2021–22	Ligue 2	33	0	1	0	—		—		34	0
	2022–23	Ligue 2	34	3	0	0	—		—		34	3
	Total		68	3	1	0	—		—		69	3
Reims	2023–24	Ligue 1	28	3	0	0	—		—		28	3
Fiorentina	2024–25	Serie A	18	0	1	0	6[a]	1	—		25	1
Career total			114	6	2	0	6	1	0	0	122	7

1. Appearances in UEFA Conference League

International

As of match played 9 September 2024

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Morocco	2023	3	0
	2024	5	0
Total		8	0

Honours

Le Havre

• Ligue 2: 2022–23^[27]

Morocco U23

• U-23 Africa Cup of Nations: 2023^[21][22]
• Summer Olympics Bronze Medal: 2024^[28]

Individual

• UNFP Ligue 2 Team of the Year: 2022–23^[29]

References

1. Amir Richardson at Soccerway
2. POISNEL, David (9 July 2021). "Football - Amical : Richardson, un grand parmi les grands". Paris-Normandie.
3. "Estac - Le Havre et autres matches : Suivez en direct la dernière journée du championnat de Ligue 2". L'Est-Éclair [fr] (in French). 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
4. "Amir Richardson signe son premier contrat pro !" (in French). 2 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
5. "Amir Richardson, une pépite de taille". Ligue 2 (in French). 6 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
6. "REIMS : LES CHAMPENOIS S'OFFRENT UNE RÉVÉLATION DE LIGUE 2 (OFF)". Foot National (in French). 1 September 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
7. "Football - Ligue 2 : révélation du début de saison du HAC, Amir Richardson se dévoile". Paris-Normandie. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
8. "Ligue 2 – Le onze des révélations de la saison 2021-2022". MaLigue2 (in French). 2 June 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
9. "Les jeunes en vue cette saison". Ligue 2 (in French). 11 February 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
10. "Amir Richardson, un Rookie en Champagne | Stade de Reims". www.stade-de-reims.com.
11. "Ligue 2 : Le Havre titré et promu en Ligue 1". Le Figaro (in French). 2 June 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
12. "Trois Verts dans l'équipe type de la saison". AS Saint-Étienne. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
13. "DISCIPLINE - UN MATCH DE SUSPENSION POUR AMIR RICHARDSON". OneFootball (in French). 17 August 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
14. "Football – Ligue 1. Amir Richardson: "Je savais qu'en passant un cap au Stade de Reims, ce serait plus dur"". L'Union (in French). 27 October 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
15. "Richardson is a Viola". ACF Fiorentina. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
16. "JORF n° 0246 du 23 octobre 2007 – Légifrance". legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
17. POISNEL, David (9 July 2021). "Football – Amical : Richardson, un grand parmi les grands". Paris-Normandie.
18. "منتخب أقل من 23 سنة يدخل تجمع اعدادي للمنافسة بالدوري الدولي بالرباط — يسبريس 7". 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
19. "Sei bianconeri con le nazionali". FC Lugano (in Italian). 9 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
20. "تشكيلة المنتخب الوطني لاقل من 23 سنة امام غينيا". Royal Moroccan Football Federation (in Arabic). 24 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
21. "Morocco win maiden TotalEnergies U-23 Africa Cup of Nations title with victory over Egypt | Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations 2023". CAFOnline.com. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
22. "Le Maroc remporte la CAN U23 au bout de la prolongation". SO FOOT.com (in French). 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
23. "Le Mali, le Maroc et l'Égypte qualifiés pour les JO 2024". SO FOOT.com (in French). 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
24. "USMNT news: Pepi to PSV, Richardson to the US, Brooks safe". FanSided. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
25. "Morocco 1–0 Burkina Faso (Sep 12, 2023) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
26. Nations (AFCON), The Moroccan national team has announced its squad for the African Cup of. "Morocco's AFCON 2023 Squad Revealed". beIN SPORTS. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
27. "Sacré champion de Ligue 2, Le Havre va faire son retour en Ligue 1 | CNEWS". Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
28. "Egypt U23 vs Morocco U23: Olympics". BBC Sport. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
29. "Ligue 2 : Arouna Sangante dans l'équipe type de la saison". Wiwsport.com (in French). 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.

External links

• Amir Richardson at the French Football Federation (in French)
• Amir Richardson at Soccerway