Background and career
Cheikhou Kouyaté (born 21 December 1989) is a Senegalese former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder or centre-back.
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. In 2018, he transferred to Crystal Palace for an estimated £9.5 million, and played for the latter across four seasons until signing for Nottingham Forest in 2022.
A full international from 2012 to 2024, Kouyaté debuted for the Senegal national team at the age of 22 and represented the national team at that year's Olympics. He played at two FIFA World Cups (the 2018 and 2022 editions specifically) and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, including Senegal's victory in 2021.
