RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, September 12, 2023) – Earlier today, the Richmond Kickers announced the signing of forward Landon Johnson to a multi-year deal. Signing his first pro contract with his hometown club at 16 years, 10 months, and 2 days old, Johnson is the youngest ever professional player to sign with the Kickers. 

Johnson, who is from Chesterfield, spent the 2022-2023 with the Atlanta United Academy in MLS Next, but chose to come home and pursue his career goals and dreams in his own community. He first signed an academy contract with the Kickers, but his hard work and development soon led to an increased role on the field, leading to further discussions about the future. Reflecting on his historic signing, Johnson said: “I have always dreamt about being a professional. To be able to do it for the team I grew up watching, and a team my brother played for is very special to me. This is truly an opportunity I could not pass up. This is an amazing group to learn from the players to the staff. I’m learning and developing every day from some of the best in the league. My goal is to play at the highest level, and in order to do so, [Kickers Head Coach] Darren [Sawatzky], my parents, and I agreed signing now would help me achieve my dream.”

Commenting on the signing, Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said: ”We believe the best pathway for young Richmond soccer players is through Richmond, and to sign such a talented and humble young man like Landon Johnson is an honor for the club. We hope he will be the first of many young Richmonders to represent the badge at City Stadium and beyond.” For Darren Sawatzky, Richmond Kickers' Head Coach and Chief Sporting Officer, Johnson’s signing represents something much larger than one player’s career step: “With our academy in Richmond United, we are working to evolve the Richmond player pathway into a model that develops generation after generation of players through the youth ranks, into the professional ranks, then on to the highest levels of the game. This has been the long-term goal; to win games with local players developed through a fully integrated pyramid here in Richmond. Landon represents the start of this model and we couldn't be more excited to have a local player choose the opportunity to develop locally with the professional club. It will take time to achieve this goal on the scale needed, but we are committed to this goal while working hard to put a winning product on the field for our fans.” 

Richmond Kickers' Head Assistant Coach, Director of Methodology and Player Development, and Richmond United Technical Director, Mika Elovaara, echoes Sawatzky’s thoughts on Johnson and the long term vision for RVA soccer: “We finally have a full pathway for players here and people working with shared goals for our whole community. With Beckett Howell, Gabe Cox, James Sneddon and Nicholas Simmonds all also having played for the Kickers first team this season, the cooperation between Richmond United and Richmond Kickers is strong and we are starting to see what is truly possible for players in Richmond. Signing Landon is a big moment for us all. Everyone who was at City Stadium on Landon’s debut night saw that he has the potential to be a productive attacker, excite the fans, and bring electrifying qualities to the field. Off the field, he exemplifies our core cultural values and therefore helps set an example for the young men and women in the RVA soccer community.”

Photo Credit: Jessica Stone Hendricks