Opinion: In praise of unsung hero Seydou Keita

Keita has repaid his manager's faith beautifully by putting in a slew of consistently excellent performances since the Italian tactician took over in January.

Keita’s experience has added a palpable sense of calmness and composure to Spalletti's side.

Whether it's been controlling the tempo of Roma's passing game or providing a formidable defensive shield to the Giallorossi backline, Keita's undoubtedly been a key factor behind Roma's superb recent run of form that's seen them win seven league games in a row.

Ahead of Roma's massive Champions League clash against Real Madrid, he put in one of his finest showings of the season during his team's 4-1 demolition of Fiorentina, with Spalletti full of praise for him when speaking after the match.

"Seydou had a great game,” enthused the coach. “His experience and physical presence were key – he played very well.

"He was alive to Fiorentina’s attacking midfielders, Josip Ilicic and Federico Bernardeschi. He managed to protect the defence and did a fantastic job.”

Facing Paulo Sousa's multifaceted side certainly supplied Keita with an excellent precursor to facing the mighty Madrid giants, who he knows rather well from his time spent in Spain playing with Barcelona, Sevilla and Valencia. Incredibly, in the 17 matches he played against Madrid throughout his career in Spain, he only lost two of them.

And while Roma unfortunately couldn't overcome Zinedine Zidane's men at the Santiago Bernabeu, Keita once again showed why he's such an integral component of his team. From his defensive midfield position, Keita produced a shift of real substance, both with, and without, possession, in a match where his positioning, intelligence, physicality and technical ability shone through.

Defensively, he was as solid as ever. His positional sense ensured he always took up excellent positions, firstly in order to protect his defence and also to be able to assist his teammates with the marking duties of Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale whenever they ventured into his area of cover.

Moreover, the essential cover he afforded the Roma full-backs successfully gave them the freedom they needed to motor upfield in the knowledge that the Malian had their back. His vast importance became amplified in situations where one of Roma's centre-backs, Kostas Manolas or Ervin Zukanovic, was required to step out and take over a marking assignment.

In such instances, Keita would astutely drop back and occupy the vacated space to make sure no easily exploitable gaps were available for the talented Madrid frontline to take advantage of.

Couple this with his exemplary capacity to read the play and it was hardly surprising he made a commendable two tackles, three clearances and even blocked one shot on the night.

Meanwhile, on the attacking end, the two-footed Keita used his passing game to orchestrate some of Roma's most dangerous attacking moves from deep, while also acting as a reference point for his teammates to depend upon during Roma's slower, more controlled possession phases.

Having played at Barcelona for four years, it's unsurprising how comfortable he is in this aspect, and against Madrid, he showcased this suitably. He had a pass for every occasion; his one touch game in tight spaces was superb as ever, as was the weighting of his passes.

Keita, despite being 36, keeps himself in optimal physical condition and this undoubtedly set the ideal foundation for him to undertake his role so masterfully.

"I don't drink coffee,” says the consummate professional. “I don't smoke and I don't go near alcohol. It's against my religion. I pray five times a day, I train, and apart from that, my only jobs are to rest and think about my two girls before and after school. I don't need to do anything else."

From a manager's perspective, Keita's unyielding discipline and commitment to his craft clearly makes him a dream to work with, which is something Pep Guardiola glowingly spoke of from their time together at Barcelona.

"Keita is one of those people who brings dignity to the coaching profession,” claimed Guardiola. “Meeting and working with him is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

Spalletti certainly seems to agree.