From Premier League to travelling barber

ROSEND, St Mary — Former forward for Molynes United Football Club, Richard “Richcut” Gooden no longer aims for the back of the net but he still has his sights firmly fixed on a goal. He wants to give 1,000 free haircuts to young boys, a gift as they enter a new stage of their academic journey. Each graduation season he travels to various primary schools across St Mary, giving haircuts before graduation photos are taken. The 27-year-old estimates that he has given more than 150 free haircuts to students since he reinvented himself as the travelling barber in June of 2025. His efforts have not gone unnoticed. Wide smiles fill the faces of many youngsters in his hometown of Rosend when they see Gooden coming, his bag filled with the tools of his trade casually slung over his shoulder. And he has an impressive stack of certificates of appreciation from schools whose students have benefitted from his skilful hands and good heart. “I know what it feels like for poor parents to struggle to find $1,500 for a haircut before the picture,” Gooden told the Jamaica Observer. He doesn’t ask for payment but he is richly rewarded. “My first free haircut for students who were going to take their graduation pictures was done at the primary school that I had attended, New Orange Hill Primary. It felt so good when the boys smiled and told me thank you; some even hugged me. That feeling inside me made me feel 10 times taller as a man,” Gooden explained. A barber is exactly who he wants to be, but he is not the run-of-the-mill man who cuts hair. He has no shop with a big sign designed to lure clients; he meets his paying customers wherever they are: on a verandah, under a mango tree, in a yard – wherever a client wants him to be, Gooden will be there. “My clients would call me and I would go to them, it does not matter where they are. Barbering was always in my blood,” he said with a smile of contentment. He traded a Premier League career to answer what he believes was God’s call. The St Mary Technical past student once played professional football in the Jamaica Premier League with Molynes United. In an Instagram post on October 17, 2023, Molynes United proudly announced a new signing alert, they had lured Gooden away from Grays-Inn Sports Club in Annotto Bay. “Richard is a versatile attacking player that will be looking to leave his mark on the JPL this season. Welcome Richard!!!” the post said. While many young men dream of that life, Gooden walked away with no regrets two years later. His brother Demitri Dacosta, an established barber in their community, introduced him to barbering. Gooden never looked back, instead carving out a niche for himself in the trade. For him, picking up a shear is a bigger achievement than scoring a goal. “This is so satisfying [when I see] the faces of the clients, especially for those who I give a free haircut,” a proud Gooden told the Observer. “I would see a youngster in the community that would need a haircut – whether it’s for school or just a need to get a proper grooming – and I would give him,” he added. He is particularly moved to act when he sees parents trying to scrape the funds together for a child to get a haircut, adding that it is even more heart breaking if there is more than one child who needs his services. Determined to help as many children as he can, Gooden has no plans to change careers anytime soon. “I want to reach over a 1,000 students. I do it for the love and not the likes,” said the St Mary barber.

Richard “Richcut” Gooden, the travelling barber, meets his paying customers wherever they are. (Photo: Ingrid Henry)