Kaby
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Kaby | |
| |
| Full Name | Aliu Djalo |
| Date of Birth | 5 February 1992 |
| Place of Birth | Bissau, Guinea-Bissau |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2007 - 2012 |
| Debut | n/a |
| Games (goals) | n/a |
| Other clubs | Boavista |
Aliu Djalo, more commonly known as Kaby (born 5 Febuary 1992 in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau) is a midfielder who formerly played for Chelsea's youth and reserve teams.
Contents |
Pre-Chelsea career
Kaby played for Boavista in Portugal from the age of 11 up until he was 15. A former left-back and left-winger, he moved into attacking midfield during his final season at Boavista and it was in that role he attracted attention from Chelsea. Thanks to a number of freestyling YouTube skills videos and a reported total fee of £5,000,000 should he make the Chelsea first team (a fee which is more than likely inaccurate), Kaby (his given nickname drawn from a famous leader of Guinea-Bissau) was first linked with the Blues in the last days of José Mourinho's reign. He was rumoured to have been on trial at Chelsea with a view to the Africa-born but Portugal-raised (by Guinea-Bissau and Boavista legend Mamadu Bobo Djalo) signing permanently.
Aliu is also the younger brother of Sporting Lisbon forward Yannick Djalo.
Chelsea career
Kaby signed as a 15 year-old (and not the 17 year-old some media reported) and eventually showed up in Chelsea’s Under-16 team midway through the 2007/08 season. As videos attested to, his individual skill level was quite good, but he initially struggled to influence games.
Kaby's impact in his first year as a scholar was limited but there were occasional positives, and when it all came together he looked to be a decent player. As one of the more experienced players in a young academy team in 2009/10, Kaby often captained the team, and appeared to thrive under the extra responsibility. Having adapted to the English game, he became keener to get stuck in, stronger in the tackle and quicker across the ground. There was a marked improvement in his game, but perhaps at the expense of some of his virtuosity.
Kaby was one of the leading appearance-makers for the club's reserve team in the 2010-11 season and continued his development into 2011-12, where he was one of Dermot Drummy's team's best players in the first half of the campaign. However, with no contract offer on the horizon he was allowed to depart on a free transfer and joined Cypriot club AEL Limassol in January 2012.
International
Kaby has played for Portugal at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 levels. After a two-year absence from the national set-up he received a call to join the Under-20 team in November 2011.
Career statistics
Youth Team Football
| Season | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | |
| 2008-09 | 16 | 0 |
| 2009-10 | 28 | 3 |
Reserve Team Football
| Season | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | |
| 2009-10 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010-11 | 16 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | 13 | 1 |
(Statistics accurate as of the end of Kaby's Chelsea career)
Career honours
Post Chelsea Career
Kaby joined AEL Limassol in Cyprus after leaving Chelsea and whilst he didn't play often, he was part of a title-winning squad. In July 2013, he returned to Portugal to join Marítimo before once again heading off overseas for spells in Poland and Romania.
