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Cheikhou Kouyaté is one of Palace's most versatile players, having competed both at the heart of midfield and defence. Playing at centre-back, Kouyaté captained Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2019.
Cheikhou Kouyaté is one of Palace's most versatile players, having competed both at the heart of midfield and defence. Playing at centre-back, Kouyaté captained Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2019.
The Senegal captain switched from east to south London in August 2018 after he departed West Ham United for Palace.
Kouyaté was no stranger to Eagles fans, having represented the Hammers 129 times in the Premier League across four seasons, scoring 12 goals in that time, including the first ever at the London Stadium.
The centre-midfielder represented F.C. Brussels, Kortrijk and Anderlecht earlier in his career, winning four league titles in five seasons with the latter.
He has also captained Senegal since making his debut in 2012, playing in the 2012 Olympics, Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 World Cup, where he featured in all three of his side’s group games.
At AFCON 2019, he captained Senegal to the final, where they lost against Algeria.
He started to take on more of a defensive role for Palace at times in 2019/20, and played the majority of 2020/21 at centre-back, where he earned plaudits for being a key and steady presence at the heart of defence.