Having played as a junior for Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal, Kazim-Richards was handed a professional contract by Bury. He also went on to feature in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion before transferring to Premier League side Sheffield United where he remained for one season. He has since forged a career in Europe with Fenerbahçe, Toulouse, Galatasaray and Olympiacos. In 2007 he chose to represent Turkey at international level.
On 1 February 2016, Kazim-Richards joined Celtic, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal. He scored his first goal for the club a Scottish Cup tie against East Kilbride on 7 February 2016.