BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Sunday, October 4, 2020: Liverpool’s Naby Keita looks dejected during the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. Aston Villa won 7-2. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Sunday, October 4, 2020: Liverpool’s Naby Keita looks dejected during the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. Aston Villa won 7-2. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Naby Keita‘s has rarely enjoyed consistent fitness since joining Liverpool, but has just managed back-to-back 90-minute games for the first time in seven years.
Keita’s £52.75 million switch to Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2018 came with considerable hype, which the Guinean struggled to live up to.
In five seasons at Anfield he made 129 appearances, averaging just 50.4 minutes on the pitch for every game in a Liverpool shirt.
It was no surprise when his release was announced in 2023, and after a brief and controversial spell with Werder Bremen he found a home in Hungary with Ferencvaros.
An initial loan spell was made permanent in January and Keita’s new season has already begun, with Ferencvaros taking part in the first qualifying round of the Europa League.
Keita started both legs of their tie against Vojvodina and in doing so completed the full 90 minutes in back-to-back games for the first time since 2019.
When did Naby Keita last play back-to-back 90s?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, May 20, 2023: Liverpool's Naby Keita during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, May 20, 2023: Liverpool's Naby Keita during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
He played 90 minutes in both of Liverpool’s clashes at the Club World Cup in December 2019, though he was substituted in extra time in the final against Flamengo.
The last time he played every minute in consecutive games was in fact further back in February 2019 when – in his first season with the Reds – he helped earn a 1-1 draw with West Ham and a 3-0 win over Bournemouth.
It is a remarkable fact which sums up Keita’s career post-Leipzig, with managers rarely being able to rely on him physically.
One of the most technically gifted midfielders to represent Liverpool in the Premier League era, there remains a sadness at the way in which his time at Anfield unfolded.
Having joined Ferencvaros in January 2025, Keita has so far made 32 appearances, playing either as a central midfielder or in a deeper role as a No. 6.
He assisted the winning goal in last week’s 2-1 first-leg victory over Vojvodina and dominated in a decisive 3-0 home win on Thursday night, with a game-high 117 touches and 12 defensive contributions, per FotMob.
Naby Deco Keita of Guinea during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations match between Nigeria and Guinea at the Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria on the 26 June 2019 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Naby Deco Keita of Guinea during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations match between Nigeria and Guinea at the Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria on the 26 June 2019 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Keita’s time at Ferencvaros – which saw him play under Robbie Keane until the Irishman stepped down this summer – could soon come to an end according to reports.
The 31-year-old is now linked with a move to Qarabag, who also progressed to the second qualifying round of the Europa League by overcoming Vestri 6-0 on aggregate.
Ferencvaros will play Dutch side FC Twente in the next round while Qarabag face CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria.
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