Kouyate retires after revealing lifelong heart condition he hid from family and doctors

Cheikhou Kouyate has retired from professional football after revealing he played for more than a decade with an undisclosed congenital heart condition, keeping it secret from his family, his national team doctors and the public throughout his career.

The 36-year-old, who earned 92 caps for Senegal and spent eight years in the Premier League with West Ham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, confirmed the news in an interview with Senegalese outlet Walfadjri TV. The retirement was ultimately triggered by a medical examination at Belgian club Anderlecht, where Kouyate had been set to return as a player and begin coaching. The club’s doctor advised him to stop playing in light of the condition.

“I suffered from this heart problem since birth. I played with it,” Kouyate said. “In England, it was monitored every six months. I had medical check-ups at West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest. Every time I had the tests, the problem reappeared. The doctors always pointed out the problem to me, but I took responsibility myself. I signed the insurance papers stating that anything that might happen to me would be my responsibility.”

Kouyate described the physical toll the condition took during matches, particularly in heat and at altitude. “If I play in the heat, it hurts terribly, during and after matches. It feels like a side stitch, for about five minutes, and then it goes away. When it happens, after the match, I get painful cramps. After 24 hours, it stops.”

Despite the recurring symptoms, Kouyate chose to keep the issue entirely private. “I never said anything. I didn’t want to be forced to stop early. I never told my family, not even the national team doctors. They didn’t know about my problem.”

Kouyate first arrived in English football in 2014 when West Ham paid £7 million to sign him from Anderlecht, where he had established himself as one of Belgium’s standout midfielders. He spent four years at the London Stadium before Crystal Palace signed him for £9.5 million. He left Selhurst Park in 2022 when his contract expired and subsequently joined Nottingham Forest for two seasons.

After leaving Forest, Kouyate entered the summer transfer window as a free agent. He had briefly joined Turkish side Amedspor in January, making nine appearances before departing four months later. It was the subsequent approach from Anderlecht that brought his playing days to a close.