The 36-year-old former Senegal midfielder and Premier League player has retired after a medical examination at Anderlecht. He said he had kept his symptoms secret because he feared doctors would end his career early.
Kouyaté’s last club was Turkish side Amed, which he joined in September 2025. He left five months later after making eight appearances. During the summer, he received an offer from Belgian club Anderlecht, where he played early in his career. Kouyaté said club doctors insisted he retire after a medical examination.
In an interview with talkSPORT, Kouyaté said he had experienced heart problems since birth. He was checked every six months in England, including during spells at West Ham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. He said he had signed an insurance contract accepting responsibility for possible consequences.
Kouyaté said he experienced pain during matches at high altitude and in hot weather. A pulling sensation in his side lasted about five minutes, followed by painful cramps after matches that went away within 24 hours. He kept the symptoms to himself because he did not want to be forced to retire early. He said even Senegal’s national-team doctors were unaware of the problem.
He also played for Brussels, Kortrijk and Anderlecht. In the English Premier League, he made 291 appearances and scored 15 goals. He played 92 matches for Senegal and scored four goals, ranking fifth in the national team’s history for appearances. In 2022, he won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.