Artur Boruc facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
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 (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
2004–2017	Poland	65	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Artur Boruc (born 20 February 1980) is a Polish former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for many years.

Boruc started his career in Poland with his hometown club Pogoń Siedlce. He then joined Ekstraklasa team Legia Warsaw in 1999. After a loan spell, he became Legia's main goalkeeper in 2003. In 2005, he moved to the Scottish club Celtic. He played 221 games for Celtic over five years. During this time, he won the league three times and other cups. Celtic fans called him 'The Holy Goalie'.

In 2010, Boruc moved to Italy to play for Fiorentina. Two years later, he returned to Britain to join Premier League team Southampton. He then moved to Bournemouth in 2015, first on loan, then permanently. In June 2022, Boruc retired from professional football.

Artur Boruc also played for the Polish national team. He made his international debut in 2004 and played 65 games for his country. He represented Poland in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and two Euro tournaments (2008 and 2016). He retired from international football in November 2017.

Club Career Highlights

Early Days in Poland

Artur Boruc began his football journey in 1998. He started with Pogoń Siedlce in his hometown of Siedlce.

Joining Legia Warsaw

Artur Boruc in his Legia playing days

The next season, Boruc joined Legia Warsaw. He first played for their reserve team. In 2000, he also spent half a season on loan at Dolcan Ząbki.

On 8 March 2002, Boruc played his first league match for Legia. He came on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw. This happened because the main goalkeeper got injured. Boruc played well in his first few games. Legia won the Ekstraklasa title that season.

By the 2003–04 season, Boruc was the main goalkeeper for Legia. He played in all 26 league games. In June 2004, he scored his only goal for the club. It was a penalty kick in a 6–0 win. Legia finished second in the league that season.

Boruc remained a key player and fan favorite in the 2004–05 season. He played in all league games again. In March 2005, he became the team captain. His strong performances caught the attention of clubs outside Poland.

Time at Celtic

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

Boruc played his first game for Celtic on 2 August 2005. He quickly became the first-choice goalkeeper. 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 playing for Celtic in 2009

Boruc continued his excellent form the next season. On 21 November 2006, he helped Celtic reach the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League. He saved a late penalty against Manchester United. He kept clean sheets in all three home Champions League group games. He was named player of the month in December 2006. Celtic won the Scottish Premier League again and the Scottish Cup.

In the 2007–08 season, Boruc saved two penalties in a shootout. This helped Celtic get into the Champions League group stages. Celtic also won their third Scottish Premier League title in a row.

In January 2009, Boruc scored a penalty for Celtic in a League Cup semi-final shootout. Celtic won 11–10 on penalties. He won his last trophy with Celtic in the same tournament. Celtic 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.

Moving to Fiorentina

On 12 July 2010, Celtic agreed to sell Boruc to Italian club Fiorentina. He joined them three days later.

He played his first game for Fiorentina on 26 October 2010. This was in the Coppa Italia. He made his Serie A debut 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 league games for the next year. After two seasons in Italy, Boruc left Fiorentina in July 2012.

Playing for Southampton

On 22 September 2012, Boruc joined Premier League club Southampton. He signed a one-year deal. He made his debut on 20 October.

Boruc quickly became the main goalkeeper for Southampton. He played in all league matches from January 2013 until the end of the season. On 9 March 2013, he saved a penalty in the 90th minute. This helped Southampton get a draw. His good form led to him signing a new two-year contract on 18 April 2013. Southampton finished 14th in the league that season.

Southampton had a great start to the 2013–14 season. On 26 October 2013, they moved into third place in the Premier League. This was their best start ever in the top league.

On 2 November 2013, Boruc conceded a goal very quickly. Three weeks later, he made a mistake that led to a goal. A week after that, he broke his hand. This kept him out for six weeks. Boruc returned from injury on 11 January 2014. He kept a clean sheet and made an important save. He helped Southampton finish eighth in the league.

Time at AFC Bournemouth

At the start of the 2014–15 season, another goalkeeper joined Southampton. Boruc then joined Championship side AFC Bournemouth on loan. This was on 19 September 2014. He played his first game the next day.

On 25 October, Bournemouth won 8–0 away from home. This was a record win for the club. Boruc saved a penalty in that game. His loan spell went very well. By the end of December 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 and Bournemouth won the Championship title. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League for the first time ever. He then joined Bournemouth permanently on a free transfer.

Boruc was Bournemouth's main goalkeeper for the 2015–16 season. He played in the club's first-ever top division match. He kept his first clean sheet for Bournemouth on 19 September.

After a tough game in October, Boruc was replaced for a few games. But he returned to the team in December. He kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win against Chelsea. A week later, Bournemouth beat Manchester United 2–1.

He signed new contracts with Bournemouth in 2018 and 2019.

Returning to Legia Warsaw

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

International Career for Poland

Boruc with the Polish national team in November 2013

Playing for the National Team

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 started his first game for Poland. He saved a penalty in a friendly match against the United States.

He quickly became a regular player for Poland. He was chosen for the 23-man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Boruc was the first-choice goalkeeper during the World Cup. He played in all three of Poland's games. He played especially well against Germany, even though Poland lost 1–0.

Boruc remained the main goalkeeper for UEFA Euro 2008. He played in Poland's first two games. He was nicknamed "Spaceman" by some newspapers during the tournament. A famous Polish striker, Zbigniew Boniek, praised Boruc, calling him "world class."

Later Years and Retirement

After a two-year break, Boruc was called back to the Polish squad in January 2013. He played in a game against the Republic of Ireland. He kept his place for the next two World Cup qualifying games in March 2013.

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 1–1 draw. In that game, he became the most capped goalkeeper for Poland. He passed Jan Tomaszewski's record of 63 games.

In March 2017, Boruc announced he was retiring from international football. He said it was due to his age and wanting to focus on his club career. He played his 65th and final game in a farewell match against Uruguay on 10 November 2017 in Warsaw. He came off as a substitute during the first half.

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 one brother and three sisters. On 11 June 2008, his son, Aleksander, was born. Boruc later married Sara Mannei and they had a daughter, Amelia, on 9 August 2010.

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

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Football Achievements

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 Awards

• 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