Keita Balde Diao is a young Senegalese talent born in Spain who now stands for Italian Lazio. The player is only 21 years old, and he is already considered a real discovery and in the next couple of years may become one of the top players playing for any of the strongest clubs in the world. Keita Balde plays in the position of the left winger, however, it is a universal attack. He can, if necessary, shift to the right flank, and also take the position of the central attacking midfielder.
Carier start
Keita Balde was born March 8, 1995 in Spain in a family of Senegalese immigrants. Already at the age of five, he ended up at the football academy of the Damm club, where he spent four whole years before being able to move to the academy of one of the strongest clubs in the world - the Catalan Barcelona. There he discerned a great talent and worked closely with him. It got to the point that at the age of 15, Keita Balde was already sent to rent in a small club "Cornella", where he received playing practice at the highest level. In the summer of 2011, Balde returned from lease, but the club management lost interest in the player, considering him not as talented as originally intended. Naturally, many clubs wanted to buy it, but the Italian “Lazio” turned out to be the most efficient, which paid three hundred thousand euros for a minor player.
Transition to the Lazio Academy
However, do not forget that Keita Balde at that time was only sixteen years old, so the Senegalese of Spanish descent was not acquired for the foundation of the club - he went to the youth academy, where he spent the next two years before he was eighteen. In 2013, a professional contract was signed with him - and Balde got a chance to show himself already at the highest level.
The game for Lazio
Keita Balde, whose biography has so far evolved not in the most impressive way, since Barcelona has refused it, which could not but affect the reputation of the young player. In the first season for “Lazio” he received enough playing time and impressed many. He played in 35 matches, scoring six goals, but the next season appeared on the field a little less often. But in the 15/16 season, he has almost become a player in the main squad, despite his so young age. In total for “Lazio” Balde spent 84 matches in which he scored 12 goals. His contract with the club is designed until 2018, but if he continues such impressive performances, then the agreement will definitely be extended - of course, if the winger does not intend to purchase any top club by that time. This season, Balde entered the field six times, scoring two goals and giving two assists. Impressive statistics for a 21-year-old player who spent only 337 minutes on the field.
Team appearances
In 2014, when Balde began to show a good result at Lazio, he refused to call the Senegal team, where his parents were from, since he wanted to wait until he was called to the Spanish team - he was born in this country and has double citizenship. However, the invitation did not follow, so in March 2016 Balde accepted a second invitation to the Senegal team, for which he made his debut in a duel against the Niger team.
Keita scored his first goal for the national team in September in a match against Namibia, and in his next game he scored a second goal - this time against the goal of Cape Verde. In total, the young winger has only five matches for the national team, two goals and one productive pass (which was also given in the match against Cape Verde, so Balde participated in both goals scored in that match).
Ahead of him is a great career, as the guy is extremely talented. So far, not everyone believes that he can become a top player, but in the next couple of years, most likely, Balde will prove the opposite - he has huge potential for this.