15 Things you don’t know about Frederic Kanoute

1. He is a French-born Malian footballer

2. Frederic Kanoute began his career with Lyon in France before moving to West Ham of the Premier League in 2000

3. Frederic Kanoute was named the 2007 African Footballer of the Year

4. Frederic Kanoute was named the 2007 African Footballer of the Year, the first player born outside Africa to win the award

5. Frederic Kanoute’s international career ended in 2010 with a total of 39 caps and 23 goals.

6. Frederic Kanoute was bought by Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £3.5m at the end of the 2002–03 season

7. Frederic Kanoutewas sold to Sevilla on 17 August 2005 for €6.5 million.

8. Frederic Kanoute lives with his wife in Seville, Spain with their three children.

9. Kanouté has been practicing Islam since he was around the age of 22.

10. He refused to wear a Sevilla shirt bearing the name of club sponsor 888.com, due to the fact the website is used for gambling, which is against the principles of Islam; this meant that the club had to give him a brand-free jersey every match.

11. In 2007, Kanouté paid more than US$700,000 out of his pocket to buy a mosque in Seville. The contract on the premises had expired and the mosque was due to be sold. The Islamic community of Spain confirmed it had requested Kanouté’s aid after the mosque was put up for sale.

12. In 2006, Frederic Kanoute launched an appeal to establish a “Children’s Village” in Mali

13. Frederic Kanoute earns $8.6 millionper year

14. Frederic Kanoute earns earns $180,000 a week.

15. Frederic Kanoute is Sevilla highest-scoring foreign player.