Frédéric Kanouté is set to retire from professional football. In an interview with Radio Sevilla, the former Malian international announced that he would not be renewing his contract with his current club, Beijing Guoan. At 36 years old, after a successful career that included stints at clubs like Lyon, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Sevilla, Kanouté is nearing the end of his football journey.
Kanouté began his career with Lyon before moving to West Ham in 2000. Shortly after, he signed for Tottenham Hotspur, before joining Sevilla in 2005. The Malian-born striker won two consecutive UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007 with the Andalusian club. During his time with FC Sevilla, Kanouté became the club’s most prolific foreign player. After his contract with Sevilla ended, he headed to China and signed for Beijing Guoan in June 2012, where he scored 10 goals.
Kanouté was voted African Footballer of the Year in 2007, becoming the first player born outside of Africa to win the trophy. Internationally, Kanouté appeared 16 times for the France U-21 team before choosing to represent his home country, Mali. He participated in three African Cup finals with the Eagles of Mali and scored 23 goals in 39 caps.
