Top Facts about Naby Keita, The Rough Diamond

He has the ability to dribble past opponents while keeping the ball at his feet. He has a great eye for a lethal pass to escape defenders when in possession. He can shake off opponents and sprint into the final third despite being only five feet eight inches tall.

Given his likeness to former Porto,

, and Chelsea player, his father gave him the nickname "Deco." Keita is quick, intelligent, and hardworking, and he came to Liverpool having previously demonstrated his ability to close down opponents and win games for Leipzig. Michel Dussuyer, who gave Keita his first international cap in 2014, described him as "a complete No. 8."

Keita is a box-to-box midfielder with a low center of gravity, pace, and a keen passing eye. He has good movement and makes many runs into the final third in the aim of assisting or scoring goals.

Unlike most attacking midfielders, though, he works hard off the ball and contributes to his team's defensive attempts by neutralizing threats and pushing opponents for possession.

His typical pattern of play is to carry the ball forward from deep and either run in possession or make short, basic passes to advance the play up the pitch, where he can use his ball strength and dribbling ability to take opponents out of the game in tight corners.

Even if he can't get past his defenders, he almost always wins a foul, putting his opponents in a dangerous position for a freekick.

Bringing You the Top Facts about Naby Keita

Here is a couple of quick facts to give you an overall idea of him.

Quick Facts

• Full Name:

   Naby Laye Keita

• Nicknames:

   Deco, Rough Diamond, Naita

• Date of Birth:

   10 February 1995

• Place of Birth:

   Conakry, Guinea

• Age:

   26

• Nationality:

   Guinean

• Height:

   1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)

• Weight:

   64 kg

• Marital Status:

   Unmarried

• Girlfriend: 

  N/A

• Net Worth: 

  9 Million Euro (8 Million Pound)

• Position:

   Central midfielder

• Current Team:

   Liverpool

• Jersey Number:

   8

Naby Keita Upbringing Years and Family Roots

To begin with, his full name is Naby Laye Keita. His mother, Miriam Camara, and father, Sekou Keita, welcomed him into the world on February 10, 1995 in Conakry, Guinea.

Miriam Camara began taking his ball from Keita's feet as soon as he was able to walk.

One of the Top Facts about Naby Keita. Naby had a football-centric childhood, according to his father, Sekou Keita, and his future was set as soon as he grew past the age of a toddler.

“MY MUM TOLD ME THAT ANYTHING THAT WOULD FALL FROM THE TABLE, WHETHER IT WAS A BOTTLE OF WATER OR AN ORANGE, I WOULD DRIBBLE WITH IT.

WHATEVER WAS ON THE FLOOR THAT I COULD KICK, I WOULD FIRST ENTERTAIN MYSELF WITH IT. NO MATTER WHERE SHE WOULD TAKE ME, I WOULD DO THIS.”

He used to always want the ball around him when he was a kid. Naby Keita was regarded as a shy, quiet, but unconventional and active child. 

Naby Keita's desire to pursue a career in football was unavoidable when he was a child.

His parents, on the other hand, sought to steer him in a different direction, pointing out that football was only for the wealthy and well-connected in Guinea, except on rare occasions.

Sekou and Mariam, his parents, wanted their son to go to school. They considered education to be the most significant and steady aspect of their lives.

The little football lover followed their wishes, but he struggled at school to pass the tests. There was nothing else on his mind but football in his ideal world.

His parents did everything they could, but they could obviously see how much their son enjoyed his books!

Everyone in Keita's family (brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, etc.) eventually came around to supporting his desire to play football.

His parents had no choice but to support him at the moment because they recognized a rare football skill in their kid, another one of the Top Facts about Naby Keita.

Naby Keita Career Buildout

Naby Keita was already being told by local scouts at the age of 12 that his talent could lead him to Europe. Such thoughts, however, were too much for someone so young to absorb, as he wasn't mentally prepared to take such a significant step.

His sole access to Europe back then was to go to viewing centers and see a lot of Ligue 1, Champions League, and

games on television. Naby Keita had to create the idea that he would one day play in Europe in order to battle poverty in his family.

He was determined on becoming a football player, not only because he enjoyed the sport, but also because he wanted to support his family and relatives, one of the

Top Facts about Naby Keita.

The youngster wore the number 10 shirt for his local team in Koleya, Guinea, at the time. Naby Keita played with whatever he could get his hands on, and like his other teammates, he would sometimes wear sandals and worn-out shoes.

They used to play football on any small field they could find, even if it meant playing on the side of the road and dodging cars on Guinean streets. As he puts it:

“WE WOULD PLAY ANYWHERE THERE WAS OPEN SPACE, WHICH WAS OFTEN ON THE STREET AND WE WOULD HAVE TO DODGE THE CARS! I WAS BUMPED SO MANY TIMES, BUT I KEPT GOING BECAUSE I NEVER WANTED TO LOSE POSSESSION.

NOTHING COULD SEPARATE ME FROM THE BALL AND I LEARNT SO MUCH FROM MY EXPERIENCES ON THE STREET.”

Naby Keita's ability to play without football boots or shinguards led to his fearlessness on the field of play. He puts it this way:

“I DIDN’T HAVE BOOTS AND TREASURED FOOTBALL SHIRTS THAT WERE GIVEN TO ME. AM GLAD THIS HAS HELPED ME TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR ANYTHING NOW AS A PROFESSIONAL. TODAY, I’M NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING ON THE PITCH.”

Despite the lack of football equipment, the kid progressed in his local career. His side (

) used to wear Liverpool shirts back then. He was clearly born to be a red.

He was very small. He didn't change much in terms of his appearance. Naby was one of the tiniest members of his team, as well as his opponents. 

Because he was the tiniest, he had to fight for everything, including the opportunity to play and earn the respect of the bigger players.

Another one of the Top Facts about Naby Keita is that as a way of demonstrating that he is small but strong, he became aggressive.

The young lad was captivated by European football at the age of 16, but he had no idea what to anticipate.

Surprisingly, a miracle occurred when he was invited to try out for a French football academy by several French scouts who were touring the country. 

His parents and family were confused because he was never given a professional contract including money. As Naby Keita put it:

“THEY DIDN’T WANT ME TO GO SO FAR AWAY AND THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT HOW I WOULD ADAPT TO THE NEW SURROUNDING. THEY LATER REALIZE IT WAS A VICTORY FOR THE FAMILY, AGAINST POVERTY.”

Everything, except the language, was different in France, making it more difficult than Naby had imagined.

The Guinean was used to playing football with his mates in his birthplace. He was with strangers this time, who never laughed or played with him and preferred to keep to themselves.

During additional training with teammates, his coach would ask him to perform things he'd never done before.

Many football words were used that Keita didn't understand or was unfamiliar with.

This was the source of his teammates' mocking and rejection, leaving him alone and unhappy, one of the Top Facts about Naby Keita.

As a result, Naby Keita traveled back and forth between Conakry, Guinea, and France, where his confidence was steadily eroded by rejection from his French teammates.

This was a period in Naby's life when he told himself:

“AS I FACED REJECTION, I DID WONDER IF I WOULD EVER MAKE IT. IT WAS INDEED A TOUGH TIME.

YOU HAVE YOUR DREAM WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE, THEN IT FALLS THROUGH AND YOU HAVE TO START FROM THE BEGINNING AGAIN.”

The most startling aspect of Naby Keita's rejection phase wasn't being in an unfamiliar place, fighting with a different French culture, or having different teammates, but the absolutely alien way football was perceived. He says:

“I WAS NEVER EXPOSED TO THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF THE GAME. I DIDN’T GROW UP IN AN ACADEMY AND EVERYTHING I KNEW WAS FROM THE STREET WHERE I WOULD GET THE BALL, RUN WITH IT, SHOW SOME SKILLS, BEAT PLAYERS AND SCORE.”

His parents became really concerned about their son after hearing about his problems. He had to phone them six times per day to assure them that everything was fine.

Finally, Naby Keita learned European football principles, allowing him to become an important player for his French academy club, both offensively and defensively, another one of the Top Facts about Naby Keita.

He could now tackle, take on defenders, intercept, switch the play, transition swiftly, dissect or negate the opposition, and control his team's tempo, in addition to developing his African style. It was a one-of-a-kind, valuable fusion of African and European styles.

Naby Keita Path and Ascend to Prominence

Naby was ready to start his senior career at this point. Le Mans, who signed

from Ivory Coast, was the first team to recognize Keita's talent, but they were unable to sign him at the age of 18 because they were on the verge of bankruptcy.

However, the "rough diamond" was recommended to the Sporting Director of another club, FC Istres, by one of their employees.

Following a favorable review, the club in the south of France rushed to set up a trial. Fortunately, Naby made an immediate impression and was accepted into the club. As Keita puts it:

“I HAD WAITED SO LONG. DESPITE HAVING MANY SETBACKS, I GOT MY FIRST CHANCE WHICH PROVED I BELONGED IN EUROPE.”

The footballer's recruitment at

was difficult due to numerous tempting offers. The club sold him to Red Bull Salzburg after only a season, where he met and became close friends with Sadio Mane (three years older than him), who later transferred to Southampton.

When Keita first arrived at the club, he was up against some tough opposition. He once revealed:

“AT FIRST, I WASN’T STARTING AND IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING. I DIDN’T LIKE IT AND IT MADE THE SETTLING-IN PERIOD HARDER.

BUT SADIO MY BEST FRIEND SAID TO ME ‘MY LITTLE BROTHER, STAY CALM. YOUR CHANCE WILL COME AND WHEN IT DOES, YOU WILL MAKE THE MOST OF IT.’”

One of the

Top Facts about Naby Keita

is that

assisted him with everything, including learning the language, establishing friends, and understanding the club and city. And, of course, Mane was right in his judgment of his closest friend. When Keita finally got his shot with the first squad, he was ecstatic.

When the chance arose, Keita did not hesitate to demonstrate his abilities, and everything went much more smoothly. The 26-year-old moved to RB Leipzig after receiving several offers, where he became teammates and best friends with Timo Werner.

Sadio Mane persuaded Jurgen Klopp about Keita in order to reconcile with his friend, and Klopp decided to bring him to England to play for Liverpool.

Both pals were reunited in the end. Keita agreed to join

on 1 July 2018 after the English club triggered his £48 million release clause and paid an undisclosed premium on August 28, 2017.

And about his international career, in a 1–0 away win over Namibia in the first leg of the second round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification on November 12, 2015, Keita netted his first international goal in three years.

He scored again in a 2–0 triumph three days later in the return leg, which was played in Morocco owing to the Ebola virus outbreak in Guinea. He was chosen by manager Paul Put for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was injured.

Naby Keita Networth & Salary

The central midfielder signed a contract with Liverpool in July 2018 that pays him a massive 6.9 million Euro (6.2 million Pound) per year.

According to calculations, he earns €18,852 (£16,822) per day and €786 (£701) every hour! To make the same amount as Naita does in a month, the ordinary man would have to work for at least 17 years, another one of the Top Facts about Naby Keita.

He signed a fantastic five-year contract with the Reds in the summer of 2018, with an annual salary of 6.9 million euros (6.2 Million Pound).

His present net worth is believed to be 9 million Euros (8 million pounds), but with his current earnings, this is expected to grow in the near future.

The brilliant Guinean midfielder has a market value of 65 million euros in today's wild transfer market (58 Million Pound).

Naby Keita Family

Keita's friends and even his father dubbed him Deco when he was about 11 or 12 years old because they thought he played like the former

and FC Barcelona player, one of the Top Facts about Naby Keita. As he puts it:

“I WANTED TO BE DECO, TITI CAMARA OR PASCAL FEINDOUNO WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND NOW THERE ARE KIDS WITH MY NAME ON THE BACK OF THEIR SHIRTS!

THAT IS SUCH A BIG MOTIVATION FOR ME AND I HOPE I CONTINUE TO SHOW THEM THAT WITH COURAGE AND DETERMINATION THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING”

The midfielder's father is a major Liverpool fan. His father has been a Liverpool fan since he can remember, long before Keita was even aware of the club.

His understanding of Liverpool dates back to

's tenure and his memories of Istanbul in 2005.

Every three months, Naby's mother pays a visit and stays with her son. As Naby Keita puts it:

“NOW SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO SHOUT AT ME FOR KICKING EVERYTHING AROUND, BUT SHE IS STILL MY ROCK.

I AM NOTHING WITHOUT MY FAMILY, AND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I WILL NEVER FORGET WHERE I AM FROM.”

Naby Keita Less-Known Details

In this last part of the

Top Facts about Naby Keita

, we discuss a few facts you probably don’t know about.

He Got a Fake Driver’s License

According to German newspapers, Keita was accused of document fraud and was fined €415,000 in September 2017. It had to do with his faked driver's license.

The footballer traveled to his home in African Guinea to make a fake driver's license in order to obtain a German driver's license.

Unfortunately, he was apprehended by officials from both his own country (Guinea) and Germany working together.

The Leipzig district court (Amtsgericht Leipzig) sentenced Keita based on his annual net income of about three million euros.

Keita's lawyers filed an appeal against the penalty judgment, which resulted in the sentence being reduced to €250,000 (£220,000) in his favor.

Zodiac Sign

Naby was born in 1995, making him a Pig. In Chinese zodiac culture, the Pig is a symbol of riches, good fortune, honesty, and practicality, with a round and plump face.

Many money pots (Chinese piggybanks) are shaped like pigs because many believe that having the Pig will bring financial luck.

Pigs are hardworking, empathetic, and generous creatures. They are extremely focused: once they set a goal, they will devote all of their efforts to accomplishing it.

They rarely ask for aid, but they will gladly lend a hand to those that need it. Pigs are readily misled because they never suspect deception.

When confronted with a problem, Pigs are generally calm. Pigs, no matter how serious the difficulties they face are, are capable of handling them appropriately and attentively. They feel a strong sense of obligation to complete the task at hand.

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