Biography
Who is Gaël Kakuta?
Early life and background
Gaël Kakuta was born in Lille, France. He began playing football at seven years old after watching his uncle play for the Lille reserve team. His first club was US Lille-Moulins, where he participated in a match that ended in a 17-1 loss.
In 1999, he joined the youth system at Lens for five years. During this time, he attended the Centre de Préformation de Football in Liévin. This training center served players from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, and he trained there with Joachim Marx.
Chelsea career and controversy
Gaël moved to Chelsea in 2007 as a youth player. This transfer was subject to controversy when FIFA accused him of breaching his contract with Lens. The organization initially imposed a four-month ban and a 780,000 euro fine on him. Chelsea also faced a transfer ban and a fine, though the Court of Arbitration Sport later lifted these sanctions after ruling he had no valid contract with his previous club.
During his time with the Chelsea youth side, he scored 12 goals in 24 appearances. He earned Academy Scholar of the Year and Academy Player of the Year honors. He made his Premier League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers in November 2009 and later became the youngest Chelsea player to play in the Champions League during a match against APOEL.
Loan spells and professional clubs
Throughout his career, Gaël was sent on numerous loans to various countries. He played for Fulham in the 2010-11 season, where he scored his first goal against Sunderland. He also had stints at Bolton Wanderers, Dijon, and Vitesse in the Netherlands. While at Dijon, he scored goals in both the Coupe de France and the league.
His travels continued with spells at Lazio in Italy and Rayo Vallecano in Spain. He later played for Hebei China Fortune in China and had loan periods at Deportivo La Coruña and Amiens. He returned to Amiens in 2019 and scored a goal against Paris Saint-Germain during a 4-4 draw. He also returned to Lens on loan in 2020 and eventually made the move permanent in 2021.
International career and retirement
Gaël represented France at several youth levels, including the under-16 to under-21 groups. In 2017, he switched his international allegiance to represent the DR Congo national team. This change allowed him to compete for a different nation on the global stage.
The professional footballer concluded his career following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He officially retired on 4 July 2026 at the age of 35. His playing days included many different leagues across Europe and Asia.
Birthday and age
Gaël Kakuta was born on June 21, 1991, which makes Gaël 35 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Gaël shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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