Saidou Khan

Saidou Khan

Personal information
Date of birth	(1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth	The Gambia
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Tranmere Rovers (on loan from Swindon Town)
Number	28
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2015	Tooting & Mitcham United	9	(0)
2015–2016	Dulwich Hamlet	0	(0)
2015	→ Carshalton Athletic (loan)
2015–2016	→ Chipstead (loan)
2016–2017	Kingstonian	14	(0)
2017–2018	Chipstead
2018–2019	Tooting & Mitcham United	25	(2)
2019–2021	Maidstone United	32	(0)
2021	→ Dagenham & Redbridge (loan)	11	(0)
2021–2022	Chesterfield	37	(6)
2022–	Swindon Town	66	(2)
2024–	→ Tranmere 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 EFL League Two club Tranmere Rovers, on loan from EFL League Two club Swindon Town and the Gambia national team..[1][2]

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]

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.[15] He debuted with the Gambia in a 1–1 tie 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification with Madagascar on 11 October 2024.[16]

Career statistics

As of match played 1 February 2025.

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Tooting & Mitcham United	2014–15[17][4]	Isthmian League Division One South	9	0	0	0	—		0	0	9	0
Dulwich Hamlet	2015–16[18]	Isthmian League Premier Division	0	0	0	0	—		1[a]	0	1	0
Carshalton Athletic (loan)	2015–16	Isthmian League Division One South
Chipstead (loan)	2015–16	Isthmian League Division One South
Kingstonian	2016–17[19]	Isthmian League Premier Division	14	0	0	0	—		1[b]	0	15	0
Chipstead	2016–17	Isthmian League Division One South
	2017–18[20]	Isthmian League South Division	25	0	2	0	—		3[c]	0	30	0
	2018–19[21]	Isthmian League South Central Division	4	0	1	0	—		1[a]	0	6	0
	Total		29	0	3	0	0	0	4	0	36	0
Tooting & Mitcham United	2018–19[22]	Isthmian League South Central Division	25	2	—		—		0	0	25	2
Maidstone United	2019–20[4][2]	National League South	28	0	5	2	—		2[b]	0	35	2
	2020–21[4][2]	National League South	4	0	1	0	—		2[b]	1	7	1
	Total		32	0	6	2	0	0	4	1	42	3
Dagenham & Redbridge (loan)	2020–21[2]	National League	11	0	—		—		—		11	0
Chesterfield	2021–22[2]	National League	37	6	3	1	—		2[d]	0	42	7
Swindon Town	2022–23[23]	League Two	35	1	1	0	0	0	1[e]	0	37	1
	2023–24[24]	League Two	31	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	33	1
	2024–25[25]	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		66	2	2	0	1	0	1	0	70	2
Tranmere Rovers (loan)	2024–25[25]	League Two	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
Career total			233	10	14	3	1	0	13	1	261	14

1. Appearance in the Alan Turvey Trophy
2. 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. "England - S. Khan - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
3. "'My dad would be so proud'". BBC Sport.
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. "Khan earns first international call-up" – via www.swindontownfc.co.uk.
16. "Match Centre". Match Centre.
17. "Tooting & Mitcham United – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2014-2015". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
18. "Dulwich Hamlet – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2015-2016". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
19. "Kingstonian – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2016-2017". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
20. "Chipstead – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2017-2018". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
21. "Chipstead – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2018-2019". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
22. "Tooting & Mitcham United – Appearances – Saidou Khan – 2018-2019". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
23. "Games played by Saidou Khan in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
24. "Games played by Saidou Khan in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
25. "Games played by Saidou Khan in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2024.