Naby Keita is a Guinean professional football player who runs with Liverpool as a central midfielder. Naby Keita’s story is one of determination, passion, struggle and great achievement. After selling ice water and playing football on the streets of Conakry, Keita found himself strutting on beautifully landscaped pitches, under the floodlights of some of football’s most famous stadiums. “Deco”, as it is affectionately called, is living out its childhood dream.
Naby Keita’s bio
Keita was born on February 10, 1995 in Conakry, in the capital of Guinea. As his mother would later tell, little Keita would play football with whatever suited him best. It was only a matter of time before he found himself in the street with a real football.
He was born to Miriam Camara and Sekou Keita. His birth name is Naby Laye Keita; the Guinean was also given the name Deco due to his similarities to the Portuguese and former Barcelona midfield maestro. His childhood home was in the football-centric Koleya, a part of Conakry. Keita recalls These Streets saying that his parents were not initially convinced that their son would play football as they felt education was the most important and most likely to secure him a stable life.
Soccer career
Naby Keita joined his local team and hometown club Horoya AC when he was nine years old. In 2012, at the age of 17, he traveled to France for football trials. He demonstrated his talent quite well in a tournament hosted by former Celtic defender and fellow countryman Bobo Balde. He was signed by FC Istres, a member of Ligue 2. It was after unsuccessful trials at Le Mans and FC Lorient.
In 2013, he was promoted to the FCisters first team. He scored on his debut in a 4-2 win over Olympique de Nîmes. Keita made over 20 starts in his first professional season and scored 11 goals. However, his efforts were not enough to prevent FC Istres from entering the National Championship, the third division of French football.
Red Bull Salzburg paid FC Istres £1.5m to sign Keita in 2014. His debut came in the game against Werner Neustadt on July 26, 2014. He scored his first goal for Salzburg in a 3-1 victory over the Europa League against Scottish giants Celtic in November 2014. Salzburg, Keita met future Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane. The pair had a friendship before Mane’s transfer to Southampton in England. Keita ended his first season at Salzburg with 30 appearances, scoring five goals and assisting two. He also won the league and cup double. In his next season, Keita continued to excel making 29 appearances, scoring 12 goals and helping his side defend their league and cup double.
Red Bull Salzburg sold Keita to their sister club RB Leipzig in June 2016. The deal was worth €11m and the German side, along with Keita, would make an impression on their German Bundesliga bow. Keita’s time at Leipzig began with a bang as he marked his League debut, an 89th-minute win over German giants Borussia Dortmund. By the end of his first campaign in Germany, Keita had scored eight goals, assisted seven and played 31 times. His team, RB Leipzig, qualified for Europe’s premium club competition – the Champions League at the earliest opportunity.
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Named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season, Keita’s exploits were not lost on the footballing world and soon English giants Liverpool were calling. A deal was completed when his £48m release clause was activated with a £14m bonus paid as Leipzig qualified for the Europa League, bringing the total fee to £62m. Keita, however, stayed with Leipzig for a further season, scoring six times.
Keita officially joined Liverpool on June 27, 2018. He took over the number 8 shirt from the iconic Steven Gerrard and is ready to thrive at his new home ground, Anfield.
Height, Weight and Stats
Keita is not one of the greatest players to ever meet. Diminutive, with a low center of gravity, Keita’s stature lends to speed and dynamism. He stands at a height of 5 feet 8 inches and weighs 141 pounds.