Derek Boateng

Derek Owusu Boateng (/ˈboʊtɛŋ/ BOH-teng; born 2 May 1983) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a defensive 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 47 caps for the Ghana national team and represented his country at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. Boateng was a decent central midfielder but is currently at his peak, earlier in his career he was used as winger or a striker, but has found more comfort as a defensive midfielder due to his passing and movement to intercept opponents ball possession. He was usually regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of all time.

Derek Boateng

Derek Boateng in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Derek Owusu Boateng[1]
Date of birth	(1983-05-02) 2 May 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Accra, Ghana
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1993–1999	Liberty Professionals
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2001	Kalamata	27	(9)
2001–2003	Panathinaikos	34	(6)
2002–2003	→ OFI Crete (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 Crete	13	(2)
Total		367	(35)
International career‡
2001–2013	Ghana[3]	47	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 April 2017 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 February 2013

International career

Boateng in action with the squad number 9, for the Ghana national team against England national team.

While playing for Panathinaikos in 2001, Boateng also played for the Ghana national football team at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina, in which Ghana progressed to the final. After participating in a friendly with Ghana against French club Nice, he was selected for the Ghana squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.^[4] He made his first FIFA World Cup appearance on 17 June 2006, when he replaced Otto Addo at half-time in the 2–0 win against the Czech Republic.^[5] He was also selected for the national team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in which Ghana progressed to the quarter-finals. He played for the Black Stars for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Honours

AIK

• Superettan: 2005

Beitar Jerusalem

• Israeli Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08
• Israel State Cup: 2008

Ghana U20

• FIFA World Youth Championship runner-up: 2001

Individual

• 2007–08 Israeli Premier League Best Foreign Player of the Year