Naby Keïta facts for kids
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Keïta with Guinea at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Naby Laye Keïta | ||
| Date of birth | 10 February 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Conakry, Guinea | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Ferencváros (on loan from Werder Bremen) |
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| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2012 | Horoya AC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Horoya AC | ||
| 2013–2014 | Istres | 23 | (4) |
| 2014–2016 | Red Bull Salzburg | 59 | (17) |
| 2016–2018 | RB Leipzig | 58 | (14) |
| 2018–2023 | Liverpool | 84 | (7) |
| 2023– | Werder Bremen | 5 | (0) |
| 2025– | → Ferencváros (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024 | Guinea Olympic (O.P.) | 2 | (0) |
| 2012– | Guinea | 58 | (12) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:12, 24 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 July 2024 |
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Naby Laye Keïta (born 10 February 1995) is a professional footballer from Guinea. He plays as a central midfielder for NB I club Ferencváros. He is currently on loan from Werder Bremen. Keïta also serves as the captain of the Guinea national team.
Keïta started his professional journey with Ligue 2 club FC Istres in 2013. A year later, he moved to Red Bull Salzburg. There, he won both the Austrian Football Bundesliga and the Austrian Cup in his two seasons. In 2016, he joined RB Leipzig. He was named in the Bundesliga team of the season in his first year. He also made the UEFA Europa League squad of the season in his second year. In 2017, he agreed to join Liverpool and moved there a year later. With Liverpool, he won the UEFA Champions League in his first season. The next season, he won the FIFA Club World Cup and the Premier League.
Keïta first played for the senior Guinea national team in 2012. He has played over 50 matches for his country. He was part of their squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023. He also represented Guinea at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He was chosen as his country's flag bearer at the event.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Career
Naby Laye Keïta was born on 10 February 1995 in Conakry, Guinea. He began playing football at a young age. He joined his hometown club Horoya AC when he was nine years old. In 2012, he moved to France. He joined the youth team of FC Istres after trying out for other clubs.
Club Football Journey
Playing for Istres
In 2013, Keïta was promoted to the main team at Istres. He played his first Ligue 2 game on 22 November 2013. In his first professional season, he scored 11 goals in 23 games. His team was later moved down to a lower league.
Success at Red Bull Salzburg
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In July 2014, Keïta joined Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He played his first league game on 26 July 2014. He finished his first season with five goals and two assists in 30 games. His team won both the league and the cup. The next season, he was named the Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Year. He scored 12 goals and made 7 assists in 29 games that season.
Moving to RB Leipzig
In June 2016, Keïta moved to RB Leipzig in Germany. This club had just been promoted to the Bundesliga. He scored the winning goal in his first league game against Borussia Dortmund. He scored seven more goals in his first Bundesliga season. Because of his great play, he was chosen for the league's team of the season.
Keïta was also named in the squad of the season for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League. His team reached the quarter-finals of that competition. He finished the 2017-18 season with six goals and five assists in 31 games.
Time at Liverpool
Joining the Reds
On 28 August 2017, a deal was made for Keïta to join Liverpool on 1 July 2018. Liverpool paid about £48 million for him. The final price depended on whether Leipzig qualified for European football. Leipzig finished 6th in the Bundesliga, which meant they qualified for the Europa League.
When he joined Liverpool, he was given the number 8 shirt. This shirt was famous because it was worn by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. Keïta played his first game for Liverpool on 12 August 2018. It was a 4–0 win against West Ham United. He helped set up the first goal for Mohamed Salah.
Winning Trophies
On 5 April 2019, Keïta scored his first goal for Liverpool. It was in a 3–1 win against Southampton. Four days later, he scored his first European goal against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League. He got injured in May 2019, which meant he missed the rest of the season. Even though he was injured, he won his first title with Liverpool. His teammates won the Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur.
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In the 2019–20 season, injuries continued to affect Keïta. On 7 December, he scored a goal and assisted another in a 3–0 win against AFC Bournemouth. On 10 December, he scored Liverpool's first goal in a 2–0 UEFA Champions League win against his old club, Salzburg. This win helped Liverpool move to the knockout stages.
On 18 December, he scored the first goal in a 2–1 win over Monterrey. This helped Liverpool reach the Club World Cup final. Three days later, he started in the final against Flamengo. Liverpool won 1–0 and became world club champions. At the end of the season, Keïta won the Premier League title with Liverpool.
Leaving Liverpool
On 17 May 2023, Liverpool announced that Keïta would leave the club. His contract ended in the summer. Injuries meant he started only 49 Premier League games during his time there.
Playing for Werder Bremen
On 9 June 2023, Bundesliga club Werder Bremen announced that Keïta would join them for free. He struggled to make an impact, starting only one game. Before a match on 14 April 2024, Keïta refused to get on the team bus. He went home after being told he would not start the game. The club then suspended him and gave him a large fine.
Loan to Ferencváros
On 10 December 2024, it was announced that Keïta would join Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Ferencvárosi TC on loan in January 2025. The deal reportedly included an option for Ferencváros to buy him later. On 23 February 2025, he made his debut for Ferencváros. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 win. On 2 March, he got his first assist for the club. He started his first game on 9 March, which his team won 1–0.
International Career Highlights
On 14 December 2012, Keïta played his first international game for the Guinea national team. It was against Sierra Leone. He scored the first goal in a 1–1 draw.
Keïta was chosen for Guinea's squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. In the first match, he was hit in the face by an opponent, who then received a red card.
On 12 November 2015, Keïta scored his first international goal in three years. It was in a 1–0 win against Namibia. Three days later, he scored again in a 2–0 win.
He was chosen for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, but injuries affected his performance. In January 2022, Keïta helped Guinea reach the round of 16 in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. His strong play earned him a spot in the tournament's best eleven for the group stage. However, Guinea was knocked out after losing to Gambia. Keïta could not play in that match due to too many yellow cards.
In July 2024, Keïta was named in Guinea's squad for the 2024 Olympics in France. He was one of the three older players allowed in the team. He was also chosen to carry his country's flag during the opening ceremony of the event.
Playing Style
Experts describe Keïta as a very active box-to-box midfielder. This means he plays well in both defense and attack. He is often compared to players like N'Golo Kanté. He is also known for being able to pass the ball accurately over long distances. He can score goals too. Because of this, he is sometimes compared to the former Brazilian-Portuguese playmaker Deco.
David Usher of ESPN said Keïta is an energetic midfielder. He has good defensive skills, which means he can also play in a holding role if needed. Usher also noted that Keïta is "quick, skillful, creative and direct." He can dribble, pass, and shoot, often making difficult plays look easy. His former coach, Ralf Rangnick, said Keïta has a natural "360° radar," meaning he is always aware of what's happening around him on the field.
Honours and Awards
Keïta has won many awards and trophies throughout his career:
- Red Bull Salzburg
- Austrian Bundesliga: 2014–15, 2015–16
- Austrian Cup: 2014–15, 2015–16
- Liverpool
- Premier League: 2019–20
- FA Cup: 2021–22
- EFL Cup: 2021–22
- FA Community Shield: 2022
- UEFA Champions League: 2018–19; runner-up: 2021–22
- UEFA Super Cup: 2019
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2019
- Ferencváros
- Nemzeti Bajnokság I: 2024–25
- Individual Awards
- Footballer of the Year in Guinea: 2015, 2021
- Austrian Football Bundesliga Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2016–17
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2017–18
- CAF Team of the Year: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Naby Keïta para niños
