Cheick Keita

Cheick Keita (born 16 April 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a left back for Croatian First League club Gorica.

Keita began his senior career in Italy with Virtus Entella before joining English second-tier club Birmingham City in January 2017. He spent the 2017–18 Serie A season on loan to Bologna and the following season on loan to Belgian First Division A club Eupen, and was released by Birmingham at the end of the 2019–20 season. He joined Gorica in February 2021.

Keita was born in France, but has represented Mali at under-20 level and has been an unused substitute for the senior team.

Club Career

Early career

Born in 1996 in Paris, Keita started his youth football career at the local team, Paris FC. He had been selected to attend INF Clairefontaine, and spent three years in Monaco's youth system before being released.

Virtus Entella

After trials with French clubs failed to produce a contract, Keita joined the youth team of Italian second-tier club Virtus Entella. On 17 January 2015, he was an unused substitute in a Serie B match against Bari. Early the following season, on 12 September, the player made his senior debut in Serie B against A.C. Cesena at Stadio Comunale, playing the game as a starter under coach Alfredo Aglietti. He was shown a yellow card in the 32nd minute. On 24 October, Keita was sent off after 75 minutes of the match against Bari for receiving two yellow cards. He was again sent off on 26 March 2016 against Como, this time in stoppage time. He played 32 games (including a game in the Coppa Italia) and was shown eleven yellow cards and two red. After considerable transfer window interest from what website TuttoB.com dubbed "half of Serie A", Keita remained with Entella. He made 14 league appearances in the first half of the 2016–17 season, with only one yellow card.

Birmingham City

On 19 January 2017, Keita signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Birmin