Fact File: West Ham United star Cheikhou Kouyaté

Brussels Starlet

Kouyaté began his footballing career in 1996 in his hometown with ASC Yego Dakar, before being scouted by RWDM Brussels in September 2006.

Come the New Year, the Belgian club signed the midfielder and handed his first-team debut on January 19, 2007, aged just 17.

However, Kouyaté played the full 90 minutes in a humiliating 7-2 thrashing.