Keita ready to back up his bravado

When a journalist dangles a microphone in front of your face, it is usually best to think before you speak. Every word you utter is likely to be noted down, recorded, kept on file and preserved for posterity. In 2014, when Naby Keita opened a direct line between his thoughts and speech in an interview for club side Red Bull Salzburg, he was probably not reflecting on the future consequences. “I dream of being the best African footballer and playing one day for Barcelona,” he said. A little presumptuous perhaps for an unknown 19-year-old with scarcely any top-level experience Less than two years later, the Guinean has become a regular starter in the Bundesliga with Leipzig and a fixture for his national team, and he stands fully by that ambitious declaration. “I still have the same goal and it hasn’t changed,” the midfielder told FIFA.com, though he did add one slight nuance. “When I was little, I really loved Barça. But today I just want to play for a big club – and Real Madrid or Bayern Munich are in that same category.” By switching from the Austrian top flight to the German elite, Keita has already taken one step towards fulfilling his dream. As for his hopes of being recognised as the finest player in Africa, he has made progress there too, being voted the best player in Austria in 2015/16 and Guinean player of the year in 2015. “Those titles have given me even more desire to work and improve – I’m on the right track,” he said, albeit a little awkwardly, betraying a timidity that is by no means incompatible with his searing ambition. “The next step is to be the best in Germany. People aren’t necessarily going to believe I can do it, but I’ll try to work hard with my team to get there.”Always the best  More observers may start believing if he continues to back up his words with actions. Take his Leipzig debut, for instance, when Keita began on the bench against a Dortmund …

continue reading in source www.cafonline.com