Cheick Keita (born 16 April 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a left back for Italian Serie D club L'Aquila.
Keita began his senior career in Italy with Virtus Entella before joining English second-tier club Birmingham City in January 2017.
[7] Early the following season, on 12 September, the player made his senior debut in Serie B against A.C. Cesena at Stadio Comunale, playing the game as a starter under coach Alfredo Aglietti.
"[13] He made his debut on 4 February at home to Fulham, playing on the left of a makeshift back four, kept a clean sheet, and supplied the cross for Lukas Jutkiewicz's winning goal in what was judged a man-of-the-match performance.
[16] He was restored to the starting eleven in early April for the visit to league leaders Brighton & Hove Albion, but the Birmingham Mail's correspondent thought his forward-thinking nature made his selection too risky while the team remained in relegation danger.
[20] He arrived with an adductor muscle injury that he expected to keep him out for two weeks,[21] but remained under treatment for some considerable time longer,[22] and did not take a full part in first-team training until well into November.
[7] Keita finally made his Bologna and Serie A debut on 18 April 2018, away to Sampdoria, as a second-half substitute for regular left wing-back Adam Masina; he became the first Malian to play for the club.
[28] After left-back Kristian Pedersen became Birmingham's first signing of the 2018 summer transfer window, Keita joined Eupen of the Belgian First Division A on a season-long loan.
He represented Mali at under-20 level,[4] and received his first call-up to the senior team in May 2016 for a friendly against Nigeria and an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan, but missed out through injury.