The narrative of Naby Keita

From the fast lane of Europe’s elite to avoiding automobiles on the streets of Guinea

He spins away from two markers and darts towards the stones that act as the goal, the homemade ball magnetically drawn to his bare feet. He gets yanked from behind by the hand-me-down kit that drowns his tout petit frame, but he brushes it off and keeps on.

The real test then arises. The child, who is still under the age of ten, takes a hard blow to the back and checks to make sure he still has possession before firing. As he celebrates his goal, a youthful Naby Keita glances quickly at the car that was impeding his progress.

The midfielder exclusively tells Goal, “This was a normal kind of game,” recalling his football-crazed upbringing in Koleya, a neighborhood in Conakry, the capital of Guinea.

“We used to play in the open spaces, which were frequently on the streets, where we had to avoid the cars!”I never wanted to relinquish possession, therefore even though I was bumped a lot, I persisted. I learned a great deal from my experiences on the street, and nothing could keep me away from the ball.

“We used whatever we had and I would sometimes play with old, broken shoes,” Keita said after making it into the 2017 Goal 50. The complete list of the top 50 players in the world for the previous year will be unveiled on Tuesday, November 14.

“I didn’t have the special football clothes that were supplied to me or footwear. As a professional, all of that has helped me be more ready for anything, and I also no longer have any fear on the field.

Since I was small, I had to battle for everything, including the opportunity to play, the ball, and respect, and as a result, I was unstoppable by cars. That’s where my game’s ferocity originates, which is crucial for my position.

Le roi de la rue, or King of the Street, from Conakry is currently the most expensive African football player in history. Liverpool paid a premium and fulfilled a £48 million clause in the RB Leipzig star’s contract this summer to guarantee his services starting on July 1, 2018. Though his rise to the top of the game started when he was a toddler, the move has been planned out since the concept of becoming a professional became clear to him in his teenage years.

Keita’s mother Miriam Camara would have to take things off of his feet as soon as he was able to walk. He laughs as he adds, “She 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.”

“I would use anything on the floor that I could kick to amuse myself.” This is what I would do, wherever she took me.

Sekou Keita, his father, feels that Naby’s fate was predetermined long before that. “My father informed me that I adored the ball as a baby—both to touch and to stare at it. I’ve always wanted it close by.

The parents of the 22-year-old attempted to steer their son in a different direction, even though they both believed it was inevitable that their son would desire to play football. They desired that I study, Keita remembers. “They believed that education was more stable and significant, but for me, football was the only option.

“They kept trying, but they were able to see where my heart and head were. My parents eventually informed me they knew I had a particular skill and would totally back my desire after hearing everyone in the community tell them I’m the best player in Conakry.

Local scouts were already advising the twelve-year-old dynamo to go to Europe, but it was too much for him to take in at that age. Keita says, “I wasn’t mentally prepared for such a big step yet.” “I knew I wanted to be playing at that level about two years later when I started watching a lot of Ligue 1, Champions League, and Premier League games on TV.

“It was obvious that I would have to test myself in Europe because I couldn’t do that at home. In addition to my love for the game, I was driven to pursue a career in football in order to support my family.

So, full of hope but not knowing what to anticipate, he traveled to France for trials at the age of 16. “My folks were in a panic. Keita acknowledges, “They were concerned about my ability to adjust to these new surroundings and didn’t want me to go so far away.

With the exception of the language, everything was different, thus it was harder than I could have predicted. I was playing football with strangers who mainly wanted to stay to themselves, but I was used to playing with my pals.

He alternated between Conakry and Western Europe, and his belief gradually weakened as a result of rejection at these displays, among other places, including Lorient.

I did ponder my chances of succeeding in life. What a difficult period it was,” Keita recalls. “Your dream is almost within reach, but it falls through, and you have to start over from scratch.”

The most startling aspect of this time wasn’t that he was in a foreign country, that he was interacting with people from a different culture, or that he was meeting new people; rather, it was the entirely strange manner that football was perceived.

Keita says, “I was never exposed to the professional side of the game.” “I was raised on the streets and learned what I know. I didn’t attend an academy. I would intercept the ball, run with it, and use my abilities to outpace the opposition and score.

“Coaches were asking me to accomplish things I had never done before during these trials! They were providing directions that I had no idea about and using football jargon that I couldn’t grasp. I was informed that when I was turned down because I was ignorant of strategies.

You would struggle to find a midfielder as intelligent and effective as Keita is, both offensively and defensively, barely six years after he received that crushing critique. Leipzig has a “12th player,” as Schalke director Christian Heidel put it eloquently, “because Naby is like two, this boy is incomprehensible.”

He is a special, useful combination that can tackle, take on defenders, intercept, switch plays, transition fast, dissect or neutralize the opposition, and set the pace for his team.

Keita’s talent was first seen by Le Mans, but because they were in danger of going bankrupt, they were unable to sign him when he was just 18 years old. Nevertheless, one of their staff members suggested the “rough diamond” to Frederic Arpinon, the sporting director of FC Istres at the time. Arpinon conducted research and met with scouts who observed Keita’s play at a Marseille competition hosted by former Celtic defender Bobo Balde. The reviews forced the southern French club to quickly set up a trial, where Naby immediately impressed.

In November 2013, Keita honored Istres for their offer of a three-year contract by scoring a goal and providing an assist during a remarkable debut performance in the 4-2 victory over Nimes.

He remembers the game and adds, “I wanted to prove I belonged in Europe because I had waited so long and had had so many setbacks.”

“My parents continued to be quite concerned for me. I had to tell them everything that was going on over the phone six times a day! Keita laughs.

While Ligue 1 teams were afraid to take a chance on the diminutive youngster with a high ceiling, Arpinon quickly realized it would be difficult to conceal the talent of their new addition. Meanwhile, Gerard Houllier was certain the player would succeed at Red Bull Salzburg.

The former Liverpool manager, who is currently an advisor for the energy drink company, spoke with Ralf Rangnick, the sporting director of the Austrian team before taking on the same position at Leipzig, about Keita. Rangnick was the Head of Global Football for the energy drink company’s roster of clubs.

On May 25, 2014, while watching the Guinean international play in a friendly against Mali in France, Houllier convinced him of Salzburg’s dedication to growth.

Before coming to Southampton, Keita signed a five-year contract that summer with Die Roten Bullen, where Sadio Mane gave him invaluable advice.

Keita says, “It was very frustrating at first that I wasn’t starting.” It bothered me and made the transition period more difficult. “My little brother, stay calm,” Sadio retorted. You’re going to seize the opportunity when it presents itself.He was incredibly helpful in helping me grasp the language, the club, and the city. He was correct, of course. Everything went much more smoothly after I was added to the team and I demonstrated my abilities.

“Salzburg improved me as a player and I learnt so much there, I got a really tactical education. Sadio was important for me, he still is! To me, he’s my big brother. He really likes to learn new things, to improve and to push himself and we are the same in this way. He’s a good example for me.”

Mane, who is three years Keita’s senior and a member of the Arena11 sports organization, nevertheless has a strong bond with the Guinean and always attends his games, whether they are live or on tape.

The Liverpool speedster claims, “He is a really special player and is like family to me.” “We remained in contact even though we were nearby at Salzburg. I like to watch him and am forward to work with him once more when he visits in the upcoming year.

“When he inquired about Liverpool, I told him it’s a fantastic team with outstanding players, a fantastic manager, and a lot of ambition.” He will feel quite at home here because of the lovely people and the city.

Keita will not be wearing a Liverpool uniform for the first time come summertime.

“My pals and I used to choose the shirts we would get for our team when we were about eleven or twelve years old. I wanted us to obtain the Barcelona strip since they were my favorite team, and my father gave me the nickname Deco because he thought I played like him.

But we chose Liverpool since many of my friends were fans, and I also thought the team was great. None of them, or at least not one that I could truly picture, made me believe that when I grew up, I would actually be a real Liverpool fan and represent the real Liverpool.

One well-known individual, outside of his kickabout circle, kept bringing up Keita’s upcoming club.

He says, “My father is a big fan!” He has been discussing them for as long as I can remember. He was obsessed with them when I was a child, before I ever knew what Liverpool was.

Naturally, he was thrilled to learn of their interest and to finalize the agreement for the upcoming season. He desired to discuss Steven Gerrard, Istanbul, and every other significant match or player for the team.

But Keita isn’t considering starting for Jurgen Klopp just yet. He declares, “I have a lot left to accomplish in this campaign with Leipzig, and my entire focus is on them.” “The club has been beneficial to me, and I’ve developed a lot with them.