Perhaps best-known to English fans for his spells with West Ham and Tottenham, Kanoute found himself without a club in July 2012, after he was released by Sevilla. This prompted Beijing Guoan to approach the Malian striker - picking him up on an 18-month deal. Kanoute's time in China was rather underwhelming - managing just 13 goals in 46 games before deciding to announce his retirement in 2013, after Beijing opted against renewing his contract.