Cheikhou Kouyaté
 Kouyaté with Anderlecht in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cheikhou Kouyaté | ||
| Date of birth | 21 December 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Dakar, Senegal | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 1⁄2 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder / Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | West Ham United | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2006 | ASC Yego Dakar | ||
| 2006–2007 | Brussels | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2008 | Brussels | 10 | (0) |
| 2008–2014 | Anderlecht | 143 | (4) |
| 2008–2009 | → Kortrijk (loan) | 26 | (3) |
| 2014– | West Ham United | 27 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007 | Senegal U20 | 3 | (2) |
| 2012 | Senegal Olympic | 4 | (0) |
| 2012– | Senegal | 17 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:25, 27 April 2015 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Cheikhou Kouyaté (born 21 December 1989) is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a central midfielder for English club West Ham United. Kouyaté is a very physical player as he is known well for his pace and strength.
Kouyaté moved from Senegal to Belgium in 2006, having been offered a youth contract at Brussels. After breaking in to the first team, he went on to play just ten appearances before moving to Belgium team Anderlecht aged 19. In June 2014, he joined West Ham United. He represented his country's national team at the 2012 Olympics.
Career
Early career
Kouyaté began his footballing career in 1996 in his hometown with ASC Yego Dakar and was scouted by Brussels in September 2006. Brussels then signed the player in January the following year.[2] He went on to play ten league appearances for the first team between 2007 and 2008.[3]
Anderlecht
As Kouyaté turned 19, he left Brussels as his former employers did not pay him three months of wage, he subsequently moved to Belgian rivals Anderlecht on a four-year deal for a free transfer.[4] He went on to making 143 league appearances for Anderlecht, scoring four goals in five seasons at the club. He won four league titles with the club; the 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13 and 2013–14 titles. He also won the 2010–11, 2012–13 and 2013–14 Belgian Super Cup.[5][3]
West Ham United
On 18 June 2014 Kouyaté signed for West Ham United on a four-year contract.[6] Kouyaté said "I am very happy because today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the Premier League". He became West Ham's second signing before the 2014–15 season following the signing of Mauro Zárate at the end of May.[7] He joined fellow Senegalese player Mohamed Diamé at the club who later completed a deadline day move away from West Ham to Hull City. Kouyaté made his West Ham debut on 16 August 2014 in a 1–0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. His performance was described as "impressive".[8] The following week manager Sam Allardyce compared him to ex-Arsenal captain, Patrick Vieira.[9] On 28 December Kouyaté scored his first West Ham goal, in a 1–2 defeat by Arsenal.[10]
International career
Kouyaté was called up aged 18 to the Senegal U-20s in the same year as his Brussels debut. He scored two goals in just three games for the side in 2007.
In February 2012, Kouyaté was called up to the Senegal first team. He has currently made 11 caps. In the same year, he was announced to be in the squad for Senegal Olympic football team. He played in every game as Senegal's debut appearance in the tournament ended in a knockout in the quarter final. In January 2015, he was a member of Senegal's squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.[11]
References
- ↑ "Premier League Player Profile Cheikhou Kouyaté". Premier League. Barclays Premier League. 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ FC BRUSSELS Players on www.rwdm-brussels.be
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "CHEIKHOU KOUYATE". www.whufc.com. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ↑ Cheikhou Kouyaté moet van de rechter naar Anderlecht on www.nieuwsblad.be
- ↑ Cheikhou Kouyaté profile at Soccerway
- ↑ Hammers complete Kouyate transfer on www.whufc.com
- ↑ BBC Sport – West Ham: Mauro Zarate signs for Hammers from Argentina
- ↑ BBC Sport – West Ham United 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur
- ↑ "Sam Allardyce: When I look at West Ham signing Cheikhou Kouyate I see Patrick Vieira". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ↑ "West Ham United 1–2 Arsenal". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ↑ "Senegal off to the perfect start". www.whufc.com. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
External links
- Cheikhou Kouyaté career statistics at Soccerbase
- Footgoal Profile
- RSC Anderlecht Profile
- Profile on sporza.be
- Cheikhou Kouyaté profile at Soccerway
| ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||