‘Keita can go and star in the Premier’
THE man who launched Cheick Keita’s professional career has revealed the secret behind Birmingham City’s young left-back’s success.
“He thinks about football 24 hours a day,” says Matteo Superbi, sporting director at Serie B outfit Virtus Entella.
Superbi has recalled his surprise at how well Keita made the step up from Entella’s academy into their first team. And he claims the 20-year-old, who cost Blues around £2million, has the potential to play in the Premier League.
Speaking after Keita’s outstanding debut against Fulham, in which he set up Lukas Jutkiewicz’s winner, Superbi expressed his pride.
“I saw that Cheick played a wonderful match,” said Superbi, who spent his playing days with Carrarese, Cesena and Lucchese.
“I am very happy because he is a good guy, very honest with important technical quality and I think he is ready for the change.”
Superbi explained how Keita arrived at Entella on a week’s trial, which became two and resulted in an offer to join the club’s academy.
“We saw immediately he had quality. He played one year in the Primavera team and at the start of last year we put him in the first team. He played almost every match.
“But he has got an important personality, it does not matter to him if he is playing in a big or a small stadium, because he always does his best.”
And Superbi believes Keita’s meteoric rise can contiunue. “He thinks about football 24 hours a day, he wants to improve himself and works hard in every training session.
“I think he can improve himself physically but he has the personality to do that and play in the Premier League.”