Artur Boruc facts for kids

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Artur Boruc

Boruc playing for Legia Warsaw in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Artur Boruc
Date of birth	(1980-02-20) 20 February 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	Siedlce, Poland
Height	1.93 m
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–1999	Pogoń Siedlce	12	(0)
1999–2005	Legia Warsaw	69	(1)
2000	→ Dolcan Ząbki (loan)	16	(0)
2005	→ Celtic (loan)	9	(0)
2005–2010	Celtic	153	(0)
2010–2012	Fiorentina	62	(0)
2012–2015	Southampton	49	(0)
2014–2015	→ AFC Bournemouth (loan)	37	(0)
2015–2020	AFC Bournemouth	79	(0)
2020–2022	Legia Warsaw	38	(0)
Total		524	(1)
National team
2004–2017	Poland	65	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Artur Boruc (born 20 February 1980) is a Polish former professional footballer. He was a talented goalkeeper known for his amazing saves.

Boruc started his career in Poland with his hometown club Pogoń Siedlce. In 1999, he joined Ekstraklasa team Legia Warsaw. He also spent some time on loan at Dolcan Ząbki in 2000. By 2003, Boruc became the main goalkeeper for Legia.

In 2005, he moved to Scotland to play for Scottish Premier League team Celtic. He played 221 games for Celtic over five years. During this time, he helped them win the league three times. He also won the Scottish Cup once and the Scottish League Cup twice. Celtic fans even called him 'The Holy Goalie'.

After Celtic, Boruc moved to Italy in 2010 to play for Fiorentina. He spent two years there before returning to Britain in 2012. He joined Premier League team Southampton. In 2015, he moved to Bournemouth after playing there on loan. Artur Boruc retired from professional football in June 2022.

Boruc also played for his country, Poland. He made his first international appearance in April 2004. He played 65 games for Poland. He represented his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, and Euro 2016. In November 2017, Boruc retired from playing for the national team.

Club Career: Artur Boruc's Journey in Football

Early Days: Pogoń Siedlce

Artur Boruc was born in Siedlce, Poland. He began his football career in 1998 with his local team, Pogoń Siedlce.

Legia Warsaw: Becoming a Top Goalkeeper

Artur Boruc in his Legia playing days

The next season, Boruc joined Legia Warsaw. At first, he played for the reserve team. He also spent half a season on loan at Dolcan Ząbki in 2000 to gain more experience.

On 8 March 2002, Boruc played his first league game for Legia. He came on as a substitute during a 2–2 draw against Pogoń Szczecin. This happened because the main goalkeeper got injured. Boruc played well in the next few games. He kept a clean sheet (meaning he didn't let any goals in) against Wisła Kraków and Odra Wodzisław. Legia went on to win the Ekstraklasa title that season. It was their first title in seven years.

In the 2002–03 season, Boruc became the team's main goalkeeper. He played in 11 of the last 15 league games. Legia lost only one of these matches, and Boruc kept five clean sheets.

By the 2003–04 season, Boruc was a key player for Legia. He played in all 26 league games. In June 2004, he scored his only goal for the club. He scored a penalty kick in a 6–0 home game against Widzew Łódź. Legia finished second in the league that year. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup.

In the 2004–05 season, Boruc continued to be a fan favorite. He played in all of Legia's league games again. His great performances led the club to extend his contract until 2012. In March 2005, Boruc was made captain of the team.

Celtic: The Holy Goalie Years

Boruc playing for Celtic in 2009

On 20 July 2005, Boruc joined Scottish club Celtic. He first joined on a one-year loan. Later, on 17 October, the move became permanent. He signed a contract to stay until 2009. In 2008, he signed a new contract that kept him at Celtic until 2011.

Boruc played his first game for Celtic on 2 August 2005. He quickly became the main goalkeeper for the team. He was known for his amazing saves and confidence. In his first season, he played 40 games and kept 17 clean sheets. Celtic won the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish League Cup that season.

Boruc continued his excellent form in the next season. On 21 November 2006, in a UEFA Champions League match, Boruc saved a penalty kick. This helped Celtic reach the knockout stage of the competition. He was named player of the month for December 2006. This is rare for a goalkeeper. He was also nominated for a top player award in 2007. That season, Celtic won the Scottish Premier League again and the Scottish Cup.

In the 2007–08 season, Boruc helped Celtic win a penalty shootout against Spartak Moscow. This sent Celtic to the Champions League group stages. Celtic also won their third Scottish Premier League title in a row that season.

On 28 January 2009, Boruc scored a penalty for Celtic in a shootout. This was during a League Cup semi-final match. Celtic won 11–10 on penalties. Boruc won his last trophy with Celtic in the same tournament. They beat Rangers 2–0 in the final.

On 12 December 2009, Boruc played his 200th game for Celtic. In April 2010, he won the Scottish Premier League save of the season award. His last game for Celtic was on 4 May 2010. He had to leave the game early due to a hand injury.

Fiorentina: A Move to Italy

Boruc playing for Fiorentina in 2010

On 12 July 2010, Boruc moved to Serie A club Fiorentina in Italy. He made his debut on 26 October 2010 in the Coppa Italia. He then played his first Serie A game on 7 November 2010. Boruc played in 25 league games that season.

In August 2011, Boruc became Fiorentina's main goalkeeper. He played in almost all of their Serie A games for the next year. After two seasons in Italy, Boruc left Fiorentina in July 2012.

Southampton: Back in England

On 22 September 2012, Boruc joined Premier League club Southampton. He made his debut on 20 October.

Boruc became a regular player for Southampton. He played in all their league matches from January 2013 until the end of the season. On 9 March 2013, he saved a penalty kick in the last minute of a game. This helped Southampton earn a valuable point. His good form led to him signing a new two-year contract in April 2013. Southampton stayed in the Premier League that season.

In the 2013–14 season, Boruc helped Southampton start very well. They reached third place in the Premier League in October 2013. This was their best start ever in the top league. On 2 November 2013, he conceded a goal very quickly against Stoke City. Three weeks later, he made a mistake that led to a goal against Arsenal. A week after that, he broke his hand. He returned from injury in January 2014. He kept a clean sheet in his first game back. Boruc helped Southampton finish eighth in the league that season.

AFC Bournemouth: Promotion and Final Years

In September 2014, Boruc joined Championship team AFC Bournemouth on loan. He made his debut the next day. On 25 October, Bournemouth won a game 8–0. Boruc saved a penalty in that match. His loan spell went very well. By the end of 2014, he had kept nine clean sheets in 18 games. This helped Bournemouth reach the top of the Championship. His loan was extended until the end of the season.

On 2 May 2015, Boruc was part of the Bournemouth team that won the Championship title. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League for the first time ever. Later that month, he joined Bournemouth permanently.

Boruc started the 2015–16 season as Bournemouth's main goalkeeper. He played in their first-ever top division match. He kept his first clean sheet for the club on 19 September. After a tough game in October, he was replaced for a few matches. But he returned in December and helped Bournemouth win 1–0 against Chelsea. A week later, they beat Manchester United 2–1.

He signed new contracts with Bournemouth in 2018 and 2019.

Return to Legia Warsaw and Retirement

On 1 August 2020, Boruc returned to Poland to play for Legia Warsaw again. He signed a one-year deal. On 17 June 2022, Artur Boruc announced his retirement from football at age 42. He will have a special farewell match between Legia Warsaw and Celtic.

International Career: Playing for Poland

Boruc with the Polish national team in November 2013

Early Years and Major Tournaments (2000s)

On 28 April 2004, Boruc played his first game for the Polish senior squad. It was a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. He came on as a substitute. Later that year, he made his first start for Poland.

Boruc quickly became a regular player for Poland. He was chosen for the 23-man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He was the first-choice goalkeeper during the World Cup. He played in all three of Poland's games. He played especially well against Germany.

Boruc remained the main goalkeeper and was in Poland's UEFA Euro 2008 squad. He played in their first game against Germany. In the game against Austria, he saved all three shots from the Austrian team. He was nicknamed "Spaceman" by the Austrian and German press during the tournament.

Return and Farewell (2010s)

After not playing for the national team for two years, Boruc was called up again in January 2013. He played in a game against the Republic of Ireland. Boruc continued to play for Poland in World Cup qualifiers.

Boruc played 64 games for his country. His last game was a friendly match on 14 November 2016 against Slovenia. He played the first half of the game. This game made him the most capped (most games played) goalkeeper for Poland. He passed the record of 63 caps.

In March 2017, Boruc announced he was retiring from international football. He said it was because of his age and to focus on his club career. He played his 65th and final game for Poland in a farewell match against Uruguay on 10 November 2017 in Warsaw.

Personal Life

On 21 April 2007, Artur Boruc helped a pregnant Polish woman and her family when they were attacked in Glasgow.

Boruc's father passed away in April 2010. His mother died when he was 20 years old. He has a brother and three sisters. On 11 June 2008, his son, Aleksander, was born. Artur Boruc married Sara Mannei in 2014. They have a daughter named Amelia, born in 2010.

His cousin Max Boruc is also a professional goalkeeper. In 2023, Max joined Hibernian F.C. in Scotland.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Legia Warsaw

• Ekstraklasa: 2001–02, 2020–21
• Polish League Cup: 2001–02

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
• Scottish Cup: 2006–07
• Scottish League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09

AFC Bournemouth

• Football League Championship: 2014–15

Individual

• Polish Newcomer of the Year: 2004
• PFA Scotland Team of the Year: 2006–07 Premier League, 2007–08 Premier League
• AFC Bournemouth Supporters' Player of the Year: 2016–17
• Piłka Nożna Man of the Year: 2017

See also

In Spanish: Artur Boruc para niños