 Boulenger withLens in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1990-03-01)1 March 1990 (age 35) | ||
| Place of birth | Maubeuge, France[1] | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Aulnoye | |||
| Boulogne | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2013 | Boulogne | 34 | (3) |
| 2013–2015 | Lens | 15 | (1) |
| 2015–2019 | Sporting Charleroi | 7 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | →OH Leuven (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Seraing | 63 | (5) |
| 2022–2024 | Francs Borains | 30 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:29, 19 January 2025 (UTC) | |||
Benjamin Boulenger (born 1 March 1990) is a French professionalfootballer who plays as aleft-back. He is currently a free agent, having last played forChallenger Pro League clubFrancs Borains.
Boulenger started his career withDivision d'Honneur clubAulnoye before joiningBoulogne. He was initially a part of the reserve team, before being promoted to the first team competing inLigue 2 ahead of the2011–12 season. After a season where he mainly appeared as a substitute, he became a starter the following season inNational after Boulogne's relegation.[2]
After being contacted byJocelyn Blanchard, Boulenger joined Ligue 2 clubLens in August 2013 on an amateur contract.[3] He became a part of the club's reserve team playing inNational 2. Boulenger made his professional debut for the first team on 11 November 2013 in a 2–2 away draw againstChamois Niortais, replacingPablo Chavarría, and scoring his first goal a few seconds after coming on.[4]
Lens received a recruitment ban in 2014 due to irregularities in the club's proposed budget, which meant that Boulenger could not sign a professional contract.[5] AlongsideSamuel Atrous, he spent six months without a team and waited until December 2014 for a six-month contract to be offered and approved.[6][7]
On 26 May 2015, he left Lens, who had just been relegated to Ligue 2, and signed withBelgian Pro League clubSporting Charleroi on a two-year deal with an option for an additional year.[8] He made his debut for the club, as well as his European debut, on 23 July 2015, replacingNeeskens Kebano in the 68th minute of a 4–1 win in theUEFA Europa League overBeitar Jerusalem.[9][10] A long-time reserve, he only made his league debut on 23 April 2016, during his club's 4–0 victory againstMechelen.[10]
On 1 September 2017, Boulenger was sent on a one-season loan with an option to buy toOH Leuven competing in the second-tierProximus League.[11]
After returning to Sporting Charleroi, his situation did not improve and despite his contract running for one more season, until June 2019, he was placed in the reserve team and was asked to look for a new club.[12] He failed to find a new club, and stayed with Charleroi until the expiry of his contract.
Boulenger joinedSeraing on 19 September 2019, signing a one-year contract with an option for another year with the club competing in the third-tierBelgian First Amateur Division.[1] He was part of the team winning two promotions in a row, reaching the top levelBelgian Pro League in 2021.[13]
In the summer of 2022, Boulenger signed withFrancs Borains in the third-tierBelgian National Division 1.[14] He made his competitive debut on 17 August, coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute of a 2–0 home win againstYoung Reds Antwerp.[15] He played 32 matches in his first season, helping the club secure promotion to theChallenger Pro League.[2]
In mid-2023, a routine fitness test revealed cardiacarrhythmia, requiring surgery in September. He suffered a relapse in November, sidelining him for several months.[16] Although he returned to training in March 2024, he did not play during the2023–24 season and subsequently left the club.[17][18]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Boulogne | 2011–12 | Ligue 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Championnat National | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 3 | |||
| Total | 34 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 3 | ||||
| Boulogne B | 2012–13 | National 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Lens B | 2013–14 | CFA | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15 | CFA | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||||||
| Lens | 2013–14 | Ligue 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |||
| 2014–15 | Ligue 1 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 15 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | |||||
| Sporting Charleroi | 2015–16 | Belgian Pro League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Belgian Pro League | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| OH Leuven (loan) | 2017–18 | First Division B | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| Seraing | 2019–20 | First Amateur Division | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 3 | |||
| 2020–21 | First Division B | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1[d] | 0 | 23 | 2 | |||
| 2021–22 | First Division A | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2[e] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |||
| Total | 63 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 69 | 5 | ||||
| Francs Borains | 2022–23 | National Division 1 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 4 | |||
| 2023–24 | Challenger Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 4 | |||||
| Career total | 175 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 197 | 13 | ||