Naby Keita’s post-Liverpool career hasn’t gone according to plan, with the midfielder barely playing any football over the last 18 months, but he’s hoping things change
Former Liverpool star Naby Keita has been handed his latest career lifeline by another ex-Red, with Robbie Keane giving the midfielder minutes for his Ferencvaros B-team.
Keita left Liverpool for Werder Bremen in the summer of 2023 after his Anfield contract expired. He was hoping to rebuild his career in Germany, where he starred for RB Leipzig to earn his move to Liverpool, but it didn’t go to plan.
Injuries restricted the Guinea international to just five Bundesliga games in his first Werder season, and things would then get even worse. He was exiled from the first-team and handed a substantial fine after refusing to board the team bus for an away game in 2024, and never returned to action for the club.
Keita, now 30, joined Keane’s Ferencvaros on loan in January. After not playing a club match for some 11 months, though, he hasn’t been thrust directly back into senior action.
According to club media, Keita impressed in a 45-minute run-out against Tiszafured in a friendly – showing ‘good movements, accurate passes and ball possession’. The lower-league side, who lost to Ferencvaros’ first-team in this season’s domestic cup, were beaten 4-1.
Keane has included Keita in his squad for the knockout phase of the Europa League, with teams allowed to make a handful of mid-season changes. The Hungarians, who finished 17th in the league phase, will take on Viktoria Plzen in their play-off round with the first leg scheduled for Thursday.
Manager Keane is said to have watched the B team game as he continues to cast his eye over new signing Keita, whose last action of any kind came for Guinea at the 2024 Olympics. The midfielder may have a part to play in the second half of the season, with the reigning champions losing to Puskas Akademia last time out to drop to second place below their opponents.
Can Naby Keita rebuild his career at Ferencvaros? Have your say in the comments section
In an interview with The Guardian in October, Keita insisted the truth about the Bremen bus incident would come out in due time. However, he remained exiled with the German club’s under-23 side before moving to Hungary.
“In my last year at Liverpool, I didn’t play much and when I arrived here [at Werder Bremen], I was motivated,” he said. “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.”
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