OUR LEGENDS CORNER: Jatto Ceesay

Jatto Ceesay one of the most excellent football exports in the history of Gambian football, an accomplished skipper, skillful and light-footed and plays a role of a strikerand a winger. A role model for most youths in the Gambia during his prime time.

Ceesay was born on 16 November 1974 in Banjul, started playing football at an early age. Playing in the streets with his mates and later developed into a complete player without going through the ranks of football academies.

He stated playing his senior footballing career with Banjul based first division club Wallidan Fc in 1993. He spent two seasons with the all time league champions. Making 15 appearance and scoring 8 goals for his club.

However, Ceesay flipped a new page in his career to go international by joining a Dutch football club Willem II Fc, that plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. At the age of 20, Ceesay made his debut for Willem II . He spent 8 years with Willem II FC in which he was a regular first-team player, making a staggering 232 appearance for club,scoring 38 goals therein.

In the summer of 2003 he joined Al Hilal SFC on loan, Al Hilal sfc is a Saudi Arabian professional multi-sports club playing in the Saudi Professional League. But adventure wasn’t successful and he returned in the winter of 2004 to Willem II and continued to play competitive games for the Tilburgers in season 2003/2004 but as a backup player, thus losing his regular first-team sport. Ceesay went on to make only 14 appearances, in which he scored 4 times.

2004/2005 season saw him continue to struggle to make his presence at the club and eventually left in the winter to join AEK Larnaca, a Cypriot professional football club from Larnaca, Cyprus.  There in he made 27 appearances and scoring 12 goals during his spell there.

However in 2007/2008 season Ceesay joined a dutch club Omniworld fc now known as Almere City FC playing in the Dutch second division , unfortunately he feature only nine times for the club before been released by FC Omniworld.

In July 2008, Ceesay returned to Cyprus this time joining AEP Paphos, in the Cyprus super league on a two-year deal. He spent only a season there making 11 league appearances there before been released again.

Ceesay switched clubs again in 2009 after a season with AEP Paphos, Digenis Akritas Morphou acquired Ceesays services after been shown the exit at AEP Paphos, a Cypriot sports club. He played 15 league games scoring 6 times in the process.

Ceesay switched clubs in 2009, he joined Digenis Akritas Morphou FC an other Cypriot sports club playing in the Cyprus second division. There he played for only a season, making 15 appearances and scoring 6 goals. He couldn’t manage to be in the starting team as he struggled to maintain his form.

Ceesay in 2010 joined Othellos Athienou FC a Cypriot football club that competes in the Cypriot Second Division. There in he made 13 league appearance scoring 3 goals. he left in the winter of 2010 joining another  Cypriot football club Ayia Napa FC now competing in the second division for a season long spell, he made 23 league appearance as a sub and scoring 11 goals.

Ormideia FC was the last Cypriot team that he played for before hanging his boots in July 1 2012. He joined the club in 2011 and spent a season there. He manged 25 league appearances and scored 9 goals throughout the season.

Ceesay’s debut for the Gambia national team was in 1995 and went on to play for the scorpions until 2006 and scored 3 goals in the process. He was capped 7 times.