Saidou Khan

Last updated

Saidou Khan
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth The Gambia
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2014–2015 Tooting & Mitcham United 9 (0)
2015–2016 Dulwich Hamlet 0 (0)
2015Carshalton Athletic (loan)
2015–2016Chipstead (loan)
2016–2017 Kingstonian 14 (0)
2017–2018 Chipstead
2018–2019 Tooting & Mitcham United 25 (2)
2019–2021 Maidstone United 32 (0)
2021Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) 11 (0)
2021–2022 Chesterfield 37 (6)
2022–2025 Swindon Town 66 (2)
2024–2025Tranmere Rovers (loan) 10 (0)
International career
2024– Gambia 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:03, 2 February 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:50, 14 October 2024 (UTC)

Saidou Khan (born 5 December 1995) is a Gambian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Gambia national team. [1] [2]

Contents

Early and personal life

Khan grew up in Sanchaba in The Gambia; his father worked as a soldier on a peacekeeping mission in Liberia, and later moved to London to work as a security guard. [3] Khan grew up "obsessed" with football; his favourite player was AC Milan's Kaká, and he is nicknamed 'Kaka' in The Gambia. [3] Khan's father died of cancer when Khan was 12 years old. [3] Khan moved to England in 2010, two years after his father's death. [3]

Club career

Khan spent his early career in English non-league football with Tooting & Mitcham United, Dulwich Hamlet, Carshalton Athletic, Chipstead and Kingstonian. [3] [4] During this time Khan studied at the University of East London and worked part-time at a Lidl supermarket. [3] He later played in the National League South with Maidstone United, [5] [6] [7] and the National League with Dagenham & Redbridge. [8] He also has two unsuccessful trials with Football League club Milton Keynes Dons; he nearly quit football after his second rejection. [3]

He signed for National League club Chesterfield in July 2021, on a two-year contract. [9] [10] By November 2021 he was the club's joint-top scorer that season. [11] The club rejected a transfer bid for Khan in January 2022. [12] He signed for Swindon Town for an undisclosed fee in July 2022. [13]

He moved on loan to Tranmere Rovers in August 2024. [14]

On 9 May 2025, Swindon announced the player would be leaving in June when his contract expired. [15]

International career

In May 2023, Khan received his first call-up to the Gambia national side ahead of their 2023 AFCON qualifier against South Sudan. [16] He debuted with the Gambia in a 1–1 tie 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification with Madagascar on 11 October 2024. [17]

Career statistics

As of match played 1 February 2025.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague FA Cup League Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tooting & Mitcham United 2014–15 [18] [4] Isthmian League Division One South90000090
Dulwich Hamlet 2015–16 [19] Isthmian League Premier Division00001 [a] 010
Carshalton Athletic (loan) 2015–16 Isthmian League Division One South
Chipstead (loan) 2015–16 Isthmian League Division One South
Kingstonian 2016–17 [20] Isthmian League Premier Division140001 [b] 0150
Chipstead 2016–17 Isthmian League Division One South
2017–18 [21] Isthmian League South Division250203 [c] 0300
2018–19 [22] Isthmian League South Central Division40101 [a] 060
Total290300040360
Tooting & Mitcham United 2018–19 [23] Isthmian League South Central Division25200252
Maidstone United 2019–20 [4] [2] National League South 280522 [b] 0352
2020–21 [4] [2] National League South40102 [b] 171
Total320620041423
Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) 2020–21 [2] National League 110110
Chesterfield 2021–22 [2] National League376312 [d] 0427
Swindon Town 2022–23 [24] League Two 35110001 [e] 0371
2023–24 [25] League Two311101000331
2024–25 [26] League Two0000000000
Total662201010702
Tranmere Rovers (loan) 2024–25 [26] League Two100000000100
Career total233101431013126114
  1. 1 2 Appearance in the Alan Turvey Trophy
  2. 1 2 3 Appearances in the FA Trophy
  3. Two appearances in the FA Trophy, one in the Alan Turvey Trophy
  4. Appearances in the National League play-offs
  5. Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy.

References

  1. "Saidou Khan – Chesterfield FC".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "England - S. Khan - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "'My dad would be so proud'". BBC Sport.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Saidou Khan Profile | Aylesbury United FC". www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk.
  5. "Time to step up". 31 July 2019.
  6. "Stones come first for Khan". 27 November 2020.
  7. "Khan going nowhere". 9 January 2020.
  8. "Dagenham sign midfielder Saidou Khan on loan from Maidstone United". 19 March 2021.
  9. "BREAKING: Chesterfield beat other clubs to sign Gambian-born midfielder". www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk.
  10. "Saidou joins Spireites". 10 July 2021.
  11. "The goalscoring target Chesterfield midfielder Saidou Khan is aiming for this season".
  12. "REJECTED: 'He is happy here' - Chesterfield turn down bid for midfielder Saidou Khan".
  13. "Swindon sign Chesterfield midfielder Khan" via www.bbc.co.uk.
  14. "Tranmere Rovers sign Saidou Khan on loan from Swindon Town". BBC Sport. 30 August 2024.
  15. "Swindon Town offer Paul Glatzel new contract but release eight". BBC Sport. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  16. "Khan earns first international call-up" via www.swindontownfc.co.uk.
  17. "Match Centre". Match Centre.
  18. "Tooting & Mitcham United – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2014-2015". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  19. "Dulwich Hamlet – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2015-2016". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  20. "Kingstonian – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2016-2017". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  21. "Chipstead – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2017-2018". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  22. "Chipstead – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2018-2019". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  23. "Tooting & Mitcham United – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2018-2019". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  24. "Games played by Saidou Khan in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  25. "Games played by Saidou Khan in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  26. 1 2 "Games played by Saidou Khan in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2024.