Former Premier League player retires due to health issue he kept a secret for years

Kouyaté retires after revealing a congenital heart defect he managed throughout his Premier League career; doctors advised him to stop playing after a failed Anderlecht medical.

Senegalese midfielder Kouyaté, who made 296 Premier League appearances across a decade with clubs including West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest, has retired from professional football. He revealed he has suffered from a heart defect since birth that he concealed throughout his career, undergoing regular monitoring at his English clubs. After leaving Nottingham Forest in 2024 and a brief spell at Turkish side Amedspor, Kouyaté attempted to join Anderlecht this summer as both a player and coaching staff member, but medical examination revealed the condition and doctors advised him to stop playing immediately.