Cheick Keita

Club career Virtus Entella After trials with French clubs failed to produce a contract, Keita joined the youth team of Italian second-tier club Virtus Entella. On 24 October, Keita was sent off after 75 minutes of the match against Bari for receiving two yellow cards. He was again sent off on 26 March 2016 against Como, this time in stoppage time. He played 32 games (including a game in the Coppa Italia) and was shown eleven yellow cards and two red. He made 14 league appearances in the first half of the 2016–17 season, with only one yellow card. According to manager Gianfranco Zola, "Everybody speaks very highly about him in Italy and a lot of teams were interestedwe did very well to get him because everybody says he has got a big future." He made his debut on 4 February at home to Fulham, playing on the left of a makeshift back four, kept a clean sheet, and supplied the cross for Lukas Jutkiewicz's winning goal in what was judged a man-of-the-match performance. He continued in the struggling side for the next six matchesall defeats He was restored to the starting eleven in early April for the visit to league leaders Brighton & Hove Albion, but the Birmingham Mail correspondent thought his forward-thinking nature made his selection too risky while the team remained in relegation danger. He finished the season with ten appearances as the team secured their Championship survival on the last day of the season. Keita was a second-half substitute in the opening match of the 2017–18 season, but picked up a groin injury that kept him out for a few weeks. Meanwhile, new manager Harry Redknapp signed Arsenal youngster Cohen Bramall on loan, and Bramall went straight into the starting eleven.

Loan moves Keita returned to Italy to join Serie A club Bologna on loan for the 2017–18 season. He arrived with an adductor muscle injury that he expected to keep him out for two weeks, but remained under treatment for some considerable time longer, and did not take a full part in first-team training until well into November. After two appearances for the club's Primavera side, he was included in the squad for the Serie A match at home to Cagliari on 3 December, but remained unused. Head coach Roberto Donadoni said that he put Keita on rather than Ibrahima Mbaye because of his greater drive. Keita made his only start in his third and last appearance for Bologna, in a 3–1 defeat against top-of-the-table Juventus. He struggled against the trickery of Juan Cuadrado, and was unable to cover properly for Juventus' second goal because he was pushed by its scorer, Sami Khedira.

After left-back Kristian Pedersen became Birmingham's first signing of the 2018 summer transfer window, Keita joined Eupen of the Belgian First Division A on a season-long loan. In the visit to Mouscron that "pitted the league's worst defence against the worst attack", he scored the only goalhis first at senior level He missed several weeks with a muscle injury before returning to the side after the October international break. He finished the season with 24 appearances.

Gorica After training with Serie B leaders Salernitana, Keita signed an 18-month contract with Croatian First League club Gorica on 5 February 2021.

International career Keita was born in France of Malian descent. He represented Mali at under-20 level, Manager Alain Giresse selected him again for a World Cup qualifier against Gabon in November, but he remained an unused substitute.

Career statistics Club