Naby Keita plays football for Liverpool of the English Premier League and the National Elephants of Guinea. The 30 year-old central midfielder started football from a humble background in Guinea before some French academy scouts spotted him, and eventually joined Ligue 2 side FC Istres.
He previously played for clubs like Red Bull Salzburg, and RB Leipzig. While his national team career began in 2012 and has played three AFCON tournaments in 2015, 2019, and 2021.
Keita has won some accolades at the individual and club levels. He was a two-time Guinean footballer of the year, and a Champions League, EPL, and FIFA Club World Cup winner. Below are more intriguing details about one of the finest central midfielders in world football.
His Early Life and Family Background
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Sekou Keita and Miriam Camara welcome Naby Keita on the 10th February 1995. He has a younger brother named Petit Keita who is also pursuing a dream career in football, and as of 2018, reports say he was training at Liverpool’s Academy but is yet to be given a contract.
Keita’s interest in football started while he was still walking on all fours. His mother attested to this saying, her son would dribble and kick anything that falls off the table, from a water table to an orange. These seem to amuse him.
Though he was passionate about football, his parents wanted him to get an education. That didn’t resonate well with him, as he found it hard to reconcile the two. Therefore, his education suffered a setback, but what he failed to achieve in school, he did with football.
This strong desire to follow his football dream paid off, although he went through some difficulties. The challenges he encountered along the way helped his career progression from playing in France to Austria, Germany, and England with clubs like FC Istres, Red Bull Salzburg, Leipzig, and Liverpool.
Intriguing Facts about the Liverpool and National Elephants of Guinea’s Midfielder
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1. At 12, local scouts told him that his football abilities would open European door
Guinea’s central midfielder started his football journey with a local Guinean club, Horoya. While at the club, he wore the number 10 jersey and plays without football boots. Sometimes, he uses sandals or old shoes.
Interestingly, he was just 12 when local scouts told him that his talents and skills could attract interest from European clubs. But, his only reach to Europe was watching Ligue 1, Champions League, and EPL matches from the viewing centers.
2. French scouts discovered him at 16
Uncertainty filled Keita’s mind, not knowing what comes next, but the eagerness to reach Europe kept him floating. So, a miracle happened, some scouts from a French football academy visited Guinea, and he was invited for a trial.
He was successful and made the journey to France, though the academy didn’t offer him any professional contract, he nor his family took it to heart. His family just wanted him to follow his dreams.
On reaching France, his expectations were dashed, as life there became difficult. He was in a different country with different people and cultures, except for the language. He struggled to adapt to the environment.
3. He suffered rejection in France
France was the starting point of Keita’s professional football career, but, it didn’t start on a positive note. Apart from the challenge of adapting to a new environment, his teammates at the academy were not friendly, and he suffered rejection, reports say.
Similarly, he didn’t understand the professional tactics used by his coach at the academy. All he knows about football was from the streets of Conakry in Guinea. As a result, he became an object of mockery to his teammates. Because of this, Keita was always traveling back and forth between his country and France.
The Guinean central midfielder lost his conviction to play football. He thought if he would ever go through with it. There his dream lies within a touching distance, but it is falling through.
The only choice he had was to find ways of reconciling what he learned at home and what he is learning in Europe.
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4. How FC Istres gained the midfielder
After the central midfielder reconciled his knowledge of African and European football together, he immediately transitioned into a vibrant offensive and defensive player for his French academy club. It took a little time before bigger clubs started knocking on the doors of his academy for him.
Initially, Le Mans was the first club to discover his potential and wanted to sign him at 18, but they couldn’t because they were going broke. It was FC Istres that finally signed him following a recommendation to the club’s sporting director.
FC Istres tried to keep him but bigger offers they couldn’t turn down kept coming. So, the club let him go.
5. He first met Sadio Mane at Red Bull Salzburg
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Keita first crossed paths with his Liverpool teammate, Sadio Mane at Red Bull Salzburg. Mane joined the Austrian club three years before the arrival of the Guinean central midfielder. After arriving at the club, he met stiff competition, but it was Mane who helped him to settle down. That’s how their friendship began before the Senegalese captain left Keita behind to join Southampton in England.
Subsequently, many offers came from other clubs, and the Guinean joined the German side, RB Leipzig. While at the club, he formed a friendship with Chelsea’s Timo Werner.
Mane who left Southampton reportedly made the former Salzburg player’s move to Anfield possible and joined Liverpool. He convinced Jürgen Klopp about his friend, and the coach agreed to bring him to Liverpool.
6. Keita was involved in driver’s license falsification
Sometimes in September 2017, the Guinean central midfielder was involved in a document falsification as reported by the German media. The story revolves around his fake driver’s license, how he traveled to Guinea to prepare it, and his intentions to use it to get another one in Germany.
His plan was foiled through the combined efforts of officials from Guinea and Germany. He was charged to pay 415, 000 Euros by a district court in Leipzig. The sentence was based on his net income of nearly 3 million euros annually.
However, his defence attorneys filed an appeal order, which led to a reduced fine of 250, 000 euros (220, 000 pounds).
7. How he was nicknamed ‘Deco’
The name Deco was forged out of his father’s and friends’ judgment who thought he played like the former Chelsea and Barca player. According to him, he wanted to be Deco, Titi Camara, or Pascal Feindouno when he was growing up.
8. He debuted for the National Elephants of Guinea in 2012
The central midfielder made his first international appearance in Guinea’s colors on 14th December 2012 in a 2014 African Nations Championship qualification against Sierra Leone. He netted his side’s only goal as the match ended 1-1.
The following year, he was included in Guinea’s 23 man-squad for the 2015 AFCON in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Ivory Coast’s Gervinho got sent away for the unruly behavior of trucking him in the face during their group opening encounter in the tournament.
Three years after debuting for his senior national team, he got his first international goal in the first leg of the 2nd round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification against Namibia on 12th November 2015. He scored again during the second leg encounter which ended 2-0 in Morocco.
He went on to play in the 2019 and 2021 editions of the African Cup of Nations.
9. How rich is he?
He has been earning pretty decently from his soccer career alongside his endorsement deals. He currently earns a weekly salary of 130, 000 pounds and 6.7 million pounds annually. He will continue earning this amount until the expiration of his contract in June 2023. He might continue earning if the contract is renewed or extended.
His salary and endorsement deals with brands like Nike and others contribute positively to his estimated net worth of above $10 million.
10. Is he tall?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5xT7XgWi44
He is of average height, standing at 5 feet 8 inches (1.72m) tall. His body weighs 64kg (141lbs).
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