 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Derek Owusu Boateng[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1983-05-02)2 May 1983 (age 42) | ||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Liberty Professionals | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | Kalamata | 27 | (9) |
| 2001–2003 | Panathinaikos | 34 | (6) |
| 2002–2003 | →OFI (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2003–2006 | AIK | 55 | (5) |
| 2006–2008 | Beitar Jerusalem | 72 | (8) |
| 2008–2009 | 1. FC Köln | 10 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Getafe | 77 | (2) |
| 2011–2013 | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 23 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | Fulham | 3 | (0) |
| 2014 | Rayo Vallecano | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Eibar | 13 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Rayo OKC | 28 | (0) |
| 2017 | OFI | 13 | (2) |
| Total | 367 | (35) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2001–2013 | Ghana[3] | 47 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 29 April 2017 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 February 2013 | |||
Derek Owusu Boateng (/ˈboʊtɛŋ/BOH-teng; born 2 May 1983) is a Ghanaian former professionalfootballer who played as adefensive midfielder. Born in Ghana, Boateng went on to play professional football in Greece, Sweden, Israel, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, England, and the United States during a career that spanned between 1999 and 2017. A full international between 2001 and 2013, he won 47caps for theGhana national team and represented his country at the2006 and2010FIFA World Cups.
Boateng was born inAccra,Greater Accra, where he played for the local sideLiberty Professionals.
He signed forKalamata F.C. in Greece when he was 16. In 2001, Boateng joined anotherGreek Super League clubPanathinaikos. In 2002, Boateng was unable to keep his place in the Panathinaikos squad and was sent on loan toOFI.[4]
He signed for AIK in August 2003.[citation needed] In the 2004 season, AIK was relegated fromAllsvenskan for the third time in the history of the club. In the following season, AIK gained promotion after winning theSuperettan, distancing runners-upÖsters IF by nine points. Boateng extended his contract with AIK for one more year until the end of 2007.[citation needed] When he left forBeitar Jerusalem, Boateng stated in an interview that he loves Sweden and AIK, and that he one day will come back to Allsvenskan and AIK the team he supports.[5]
In July 2006, Boateng signed with Beitar Jerusalem until January 2009.[6] Boateng helped Beitar Jerusalem to win the league for the fifth time in their history, and for the first time for 10 years, contributing four goals in the campaign.
The 2007–08 season started off poorly for Boateng, as he got sent off during Beitar Jerusalem's first official game of the season, in leg one of the second qualifying round for the2007–08 UEFA Champions League, away toF.C. Copenhagen. Beitar Jerusalem lost 2–1 on aggregate and were eliminated. Boateng ended the season with another championship for Beitar Jerusalem. At theIsrael State Cup final, Boateng missed a penalty in a thrilling penalty shootout againstHapoel Tel Aviv, but Beitar Jerusalem secured the title with a 5–4 win at the shootout, and secured an historicaldouble.
The 2008–09 season started with yet another early elimination at the second qualification round for theUEFA Champions League, this time with a 5–0 away defeat toWisła Kraków, and 6–2 in aggregate.
Whilst with Beitar, Boateng received financial backing whilst raising a lawsuit against his former agent.[7]
On 21 January 2009, Boateng signed a four-year contract with1. FC Köln.[8] However, on 31 July 2009,Getafe CF signed him from Köln for one million euros. He stayed at the Spanish club for just over two seasons, making 61 appearances and scoring two goals.
On 20 June 2011, Boateng completed a move to Ukrainian clubFC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, signing a four-year contract.[9] For Dnipro Derek mostly played in the2011–12, while thenext season he was side benched by the head coach after playing the first couple of games for the first team. Later after playing some games for the reserve team, Boateng lost interest of playing for the club at all.
In May 2013, Boateng confirmed that he had moved on a free transfer toPremier League sideFulham on Ghanaian radio. He said,"I have signed a two-year deal with Fulham and will be training with them for the first time [on Tuesday]. "I believe it's a good move and I'm finally happy to see this deal [confirmed]."[10]
Fulham officially confirmed Boateng signed a one-year deal with an option for a further year on 22 May 2013.[11] He featured in the 2013–14 English Premiership opener against Sunderland where he played only 65 minutes and was substituted byGiorgos Karagounis.[12]
After his contract with Fulham expired, Boateng decided to join Spanish clubRayo Vallecano on 3 June 2014.[13] However, only two months later, he was deemed surplus to requirements by managerPaco Jémez,[14] and rescinded his link with theMadrid outfit on 18 August.[15]
Hours after rescinding with Rayo, Boateng signed a one-year deal with fellow league clubSD Eibar.[16]
After leaving Eibar, Boateng returned toBeitar Jerusalem to train with them whilst looking for a move in the upcoming transfer window.[17]
On 25 January 2016, Boateng signed with expansion sideRayo OKC of theNorth American Soccer League.[18]
On 30 January 2017, Boateng signed withFootball League side OFI till the end of the season. It is expected with his experience to help the club in his effort to be promoted in theSuper League Greece.[19]
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While playing for Panathinaikos in 2001, Boateng also played for the Ghana national football team at theFIFA World Youth Championship inArgentina, in which Ghana progressed to the final. After participating in a friendly with Ghana against French clubNice, he was selected for the Ghana squad at the2006 FIFA World Cup.[20] He made his firstFIFA World Cup appearance on 17 June 2006, when he replacedOtto Addo at half-time in the 2–0 win against theCzech Republic.[21] He was also selected for the national team for the2010 FIFA World Cup, in which Ghana progressed to the quarter-finals.
Appearances and goals by national team and year
| Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2001 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | 1 | |
AIK
Beitar Jerusalem
Ghana U20
Individual
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