How Newcastle United and Sunderland aided the development of Gateshead star Kenton Richardson

Kenton Richardson’s ‘greatest day in football’ came on the most hallowed turf in the English game - but the defender’s personal ‘Road to Wembley’ was not as straightforward as many would suggest.

At the age of just 26, the current Gateshead captain has already experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of loans during a career that has brought promise and progress at Hartlepool United, a dream move to Sunderland, learning from Luke O’Nien and Aidan McGeady and no shortage of injury nightmares - and that’s before taking into account the rollercoaster that is life at the International Stadium.

To know his own personal football story, you have to go back to the start - and like many young prospects, Richardson was handed his chance during a period of difficulty at Hartlepool as they battled for survival in League Two.

He told The Echo: “It was a massive learning curve for me as a young player. I was on the bench a couple of times at 17 but then got thrown in when the club was struggling. To be honest, the four or five years I had in the first team at Pools were difficult because we were fighting against relegation into the National League and for a club of that size it was hard. We went down, it was difficult, and we know how difficult it is getting out of that league and we didn’t live up to expectations.

“Personally, it did me the world of good because it was a baptism of fire. I really enjoyed my time at Pools, it’s a fantastic club but going through those difficult moments at that young age has given me some invaluable experience and there are lessons learnt back then, the advice I drew from older players, are still being carried with me now. Pools are one of the biggest clubs in this league, they should be fighting at the top end of the National League and given the size of the fanbase, they should be an EFL club. They’re a great club and although it was a tough time for them back then, they gave me a great grounding in football.”

Opportunity

Showing his unquestionable promise and potential during such a tough time at Victoria Park captured the attention of a number of clubs during the summer of 2020. Richardson secured a surprise move to Sunderland, then in League One, and realised the dream of playing for the club he supported as a boy. Yet, with the benefit of hindsight, there was a tinge of regret as the defender spent the majority of his time at the Stadium of Light in the Black Cats Under-23s setup and saw his progress hampered by injury. That is not to suggest Richardson views the move as a mistake, far from it in fact. However, looking back, there is a belief that earning regular first-team football with Pools would have been ‘a better option’ at that stage of his career.

He explained: “Ged McNamee was assistant manager at Hartlepool when I was there and he went to Sunderland as head of recruitment for the Under-23s. He liked me as a player and he saw something in me and he wanted to take me there. It was an opportunity I couldn’t really pass up. Looking back, I probably should have stayed in men’s football because my career went stagnant at Sunderland. I was stuck in the Under-23s, I picked up some bad injuries, but it’s one of those where if I didn’t do it, I would have regretted it because it’s the club I’ve supported from being a young lad. The opportunity and the facilities there were too good to turn down. Looking back and being honest, for my career development, staying at Pools would have been the better option.”

Work ethic

Three senior appearances during his two-year stay at the Stadium of Light were the sum total of Richardson’s on-field involvement within the Black Cats first-team setup. They all came within the Papa John’s Trophy as the defender featured against Lincoln City, Bradford City and Manchester United Under-23s. However, his development was aided by training alongside Sunderland’s senior stars on a daily basis - and one of them has remained a key figure during the club’s rise from the third tier of the English game into the Premier League.

“I was able to learn from some unbelievable footballers during my time at Sunderland,” Richardson explained. “Aidan McGeady stood out, the was a fantastic footballer. Luke O’Nien was another one, and he’s obviously still there. I still speak to Luke every now and then and he was someone who was really good with the young lads. I think the work ethic and the attitude he showed every day, you could see he was destined to kick on and stay at the club. Where the club has gone, he fully deserves it, he has been a massive part of that and it’s testament to his character.”

Learning

With senior opportunities at Sunderland at a premium, Richardson was handed two loans spells away from Wearside as he joined Notts County for a short period during the second half of the 2020/21 season before heading to the Black Cats’ National League North neighbours Spennymoor Town for the final six months of the following campaign. It was with the latter where Richardson admitted he ‘rediscovered his love for football’ and kickstarted a career that appeared to be in danger of stagnating.

He said: “The Spenny loan was key for my career. I had a loan spell at Notts County when I was at Sunderland but that got curtailed by injury. I had been out for eight months with a hamstring injury, I’d only been back for three months and I wasn’t ready. So the loan at Spenny, and I wouldn’t say I found my level but I found a level where I could play men’s football consistently. The lads were fantastic, they were a great group and I rediscovered my love for football against. It was a fantastic learning experience and it gave me the confidence going forwards.”

Invaluable

A permanent exit from Sunderland came during the summer of 2022 as Richardson secured a move to National League newcomers Gateshead and that brought him under the watch of former Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Mike Williamson. Working under the gaze of a man who played over 170 times for the Magpies and featured in a Europa League quarter-final against Benfica during his time at St James Park further boosted Richardson’s career - but it was Williamson’s holistic approach to football that left an indelible impression on the defender.

“Coming to Gateshead under Mike and Busted (Ian Watson, assistant manager) was a real eye-opener,” he admitted. “They made me see the game in a totally different way. The time at Gateshead, I’ve learnt more than I have in any other period in my career. I spoke to Mike a lot when I was there, I tried to pick his brains because he’s played at the top level of the game and he has looked after himself. He really helped me with the levels and experience he has and he really simplified defending for me. I had clarity of thought going on to the pitch and it seems obvious when you’re defending but he gave me invaluable advice.”

Recovery

Having led Gateshead to the National League North title and preserved their place in non-league’s top tier, Williamson and Watson were tempted away by an offer from League Two club MK Dons. In their place came another former Newcastle star as Rob Elliot stepped into the dugout after serving time as Gateshead’s technical director. He was joined by defender Louis Storey, who was named as player-assistant manager and former Hartlepool United star Carl Magnay took up a role as player-coach.

It was evolution, rather than revolution, as the trio put their own spin on the approach taken by Williamson and Watson and guided the Heed to some historic successes during what would become a special period for the club. For Richardson, their development-first mentality was the key factor in helping create some of the greatest moments in Gateshead’s history.

He said: “I can’t speak highly enough of Rob, Louis and Carl. They are fantastic coaches and fantastic people. I still speak to them now and they were absolutely fantastic for the club. They carried on what Mike and Busted did and they put there own spin on it. That benefitted the lads we had at the club and you can see some of them have kicked on. They looked at development over results and that’s unusual in men’s football but it made us want to run through brick walls for them. They achieved so much in a short space of time and everyone bought into what they wanted from us. I took so much from them and I appreciate what they did for us as players and for the club as a whole.”

Special

As is always the way with Gateshead, there is never true pleasure without experiencing some pain alongside the way. Despite finishing the 2023/24 season in the top seven of the National League table and qualifying for the play-offs for only the second time in their history, the Heed were denied an opportunity to battle for promotion over an issue with the security of tenure at the International Stadium.

The decision hurt Richardson and his team-mates - but it also brought added motivation to ensure they could move on from an FA Trophy final defeat against FC Halifax Town during the previous season by claiming a Wembley win in the same competition against Solihull Moors. True to their word, Gateshead got their hands on silverware with a penalty shoot-out win and that remains at the top of Richardson’s list of achievements so far.

He said: “Wembley was the best day I’ve had in football and the way it happened made it special. We got there the year before and we missed out so had to watch Halifax getting the trophy, you’re gutted, it’s a missed opportunity. We had a great year, we played some unbelievable football, we were right up there in the league but we were told we couldn’t play in the play-offs. That was heartbreaking, we were devastated, but we had to get something from the season and all of the emotion and disappointment, everything during my career, the injuries and setbacks, all of that was worthwhile to win at Wembley.”

Consistency

Elliot and Storey departed Gateshead just months after their Wembley win and joined League One side Crawley Town. Magnay returned after spells with Carlisle United and MK Dons to manage his boyhood club - but his attempts to build on the progress made were hampered by what would be an unsuccessful takeover bid by former Sunderland and Everton striker Victor Anichebe that seemed to overshadow what was happening on the pitch.

Several key departures during the summer months only added to the uncertainty at the International Stadium and, as it stands ahead of their Boxing Day home clash with Carlisle United, Alun Armstrong’s men are firmly in a battle against relegation back into the National League North. Richardson remains focused and has stressed his team-mates can not afford to ‘take their foot off the gas’ as they look to remain in the National League.

“I know how good it can be and it is a motivation - but it makes you look at football and how it can be. It is a rollercoaster and you think, within a year or two, things can change massively so you can’t take your foot off the gas. You have to squeeze the life out of every game, every moment and Mike (Williamson) used to be really good at this when he said don’t get too high or too low, stay at the same level and if you have that consistency you get to where you want to be.”

If anyone knows about the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, it is Kenton Richardson. His Gateshead team-mates will do well to heed his advice.

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