Premier League winner makes debut for Hungarian B-team 11 months after last game

The Guinea international was touted as one of the most promising midfielders in world football when Liverpool paid RB Leipzig his £48million release clause in 2018.

After a solid start at Anfield where he was handed Steven Gerrard's famous No.8 shirt, injuries began to play havoc on him.

A Premier League title may have been firmly in his grasp, but reduced game time saw him slip down the pecking order under Jurgen Klopp before eventually leaving Anfield as a free agent in 2023.

It was a tale of what might have been as Keita departed without having shown his full capabilities

A move back to the Bundesliga followed with Werden Bremen but his ongoing struggles appeared to follow him.

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He managed just five matches in 18 months and became embroiled in controversy due to an incident whilst the team was boarding the coach for a league fixture.

Reports in Germany suggested Keita refused to board the team coach after being informed he was not in the starting XI for a match.

The incident spelled the end for Keita at Bremen after what had been a dismal return to German football with some claiming he signed for the club solely for financial reasons.

Keita hit back saying: "If I wanted the money, I would have chosen to sign somewhere other than Bremen. Here, all that motivated me was to have the opportunity to play every weekend, enjoy myself and give pleasure."

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Asked about the bus incident, he told The Guardian in October: "We'll have to talk about the bus incident one day, but everyone who knows me knows that I'm a professional and that I'm not undisciplined.

"Despite everything, I apologised to the group even before the end of last season because we're all human and nobody's perfect.

"Wherever I've been, from Salzburg to Leipzig to Liverpool, I've always tried to be exemplary."

With Keita's career in limbo having not featured for Bremen since March 2024 and without any competitive minutes since an appearance for Guinea in the Paris Olympics last July, the midfielder was recently handed a lifeline.

Still only 30-years-old, Keita's switch to Ferencvaros during the January transfer window went completely under the radar for many.

The Hungarian giants - managed by former Reds striker Robbie Keane - agreed a loan deal for Keita until the end of the season with an option to sign on a permanent deal to the delight of Werder Bremen chief Clement Fritz.

"We are pleased to have found a solution, together with Naby and his agent," said Fritz.

"For us, it was clear that Naby would not play for Werder again. As such, the loan deal is the right move both for us and for him. We wish Naby all the best in Hungary."

Ferencvaros, who have won the last six Hungarian league titles and 34 in all, have struggled to make their mark in Europe but have safely made it through to the Europa League play-off round.

And Keita may not have to wait long for another shot at European football despite having made his debut for the club's B team.

In a recent 4-1 win against Tiszafured, Keita was introduced in the second half, and put in an admirable display, resulting in a glowing report from the club.

It read: "The Guinean midfielder came on as a substitute at half-time and with his good movements, accurate passes and ball possession, he proved that his regeneration is progressing well and he could soon make his debut for our first team.

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"The head coach of our defending champion football team, Robbie Keane, also watched the match on site."

Keita could be included in the senior squad when Ferencvaros face off against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League play-off round on Thursday.