Naby Keita has opened up about his long-term dream of playing in Europe and for Liverpool, in a revealing interview with Goal.
Keita has recently become the most expensive African footballer in history. Liverpool activated a £48 million release clause in his contract at RB Leipzig this summer, paying a premium to secure his services ahead of next season’s transfer window.
At 12, Keita was already being guided by local scouts in Conakry, Guinea that he should head for Europe. It took a few years of understanding plus the opportunity to watch European football for the Guinea star to realise his next steps.
I was not mentally ready yet for such a big step. About two years later, I would watch a lot of Ligue 1, Champions League and Premier League games on TV and I knew I wanted to be playing at that level. It was clear that I would have to test myself in Europe. I was determined to become a footballer, not only because I loved the game, but so I could provide for my family.
Keita reveals how growing up in Koleya, an area of Guinea capital’s Conakry has helped mould his dynamic and aggressive playing style:
I was quite small and so I had to fight for everything: the chance to play, for the ball, to get respect and that’s why not even cars could stop me. It’s where the aggression in my game, which is so important for my position, comes from. 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.
I was never exposed to the professional side of the game. I didn’t grow up in an academy, everything I knew was from the street. I would get the ball, I would run with it, show some skill to beat a player and score.
With high anticipation amongst Liverpool fans around the arrival of the Guinea international, the midfielder has revealed how he and his friends dreamt of playing at Anfield as youngsters.
When I was around 11 or 12, my friends and I were choosing which shirts we would get for our team. Because my father nicknamed me Deco as he thought I played like him, I wanted us to get the Barcelona strip – they were my favourite.
All my friends were Liverpool supporters, though, and I really liked the club too so we decided on them. I don’t think any of them or I could really imagine that I would grow up to actually wear a real Liverpool shirt and represent the real Liverpool.
