Cheikhou Kouyaté

Cheikhou Kouyaté
Kouyaté playing for West Ham United in 2016
Personal information
Full name Cheikhou Kouyaté
Date of birth (1989-12-21) 21 December 1989
Place of birth Dakar, Senegal
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder, centre-back
Youth career
1996–2006 ASC Yego Dakar
2006–2007 RWDM Brussels
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 RWDM Brussels 10 (0)
2008–2014 Anderlecht 153 (4)
2008–2009Kortrijk (loan) 26 (3)
2014–2018 West Ham United 129 (12)
2018–2022 Crystal Palace 129 (2)
2022–2024 Nottingham Forest 33 (1)
International career
2007 Senegal U20 3 (2)
2012 Senegal Olympic 4 (0)
2012– Senegal 92 (4)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner2021 Cameroon
Runner-up2019 Egypt
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:58, 19 May 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:56, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

Cheikhou Kouyaté (born 21 December 1989) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for the Senegal national team. He most recently played for Premier League club Nottingham Forest.

Kouyaté moved from Senegal to Belgium in 2006, having been offered a youth contract at RWDM Brussels. He played ten games before moving to Anderlecht aged 19, where he made 206 appearances and won the Belgian First Division A four times. In June 2014, he joined West Ham United of the Premier League, and four years later he transferred to Crystal Palace for an estimated £9.5 million.

Kouyaté represented the Senegal national team at the 2012 Olympics. He played at two FIFA World Cup and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, including Senegal's victory in 2021.