George Boateng facts for kids
Boateng playing for Middlesbrough in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George Antwi Boateng | ||
| Date of birth | 5 September 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Nkawkaw, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1995 | Excelsior | 9 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Feyenoord | 68 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Coventry City | 46 | (5) |
| 1999–2002 | Aston Villa | 103 | (4) |
| 2002–2008 | Middlesbrough | 182 | (7) |
| 2008–2010 | Hull City | 52 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Skoda Xanthi | 19 | (2) |
| 2011–2012 | Nottingham Forest | 5 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | T-Team | 15 | (2) |
| Total | 499 | (23) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1998 | Netherlands U21 | 18 | (0) |
| 2001–2006 | Netherlands | 4 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2015 | Kelantan | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
George Antwi Boateng (born 5 September 1975) is a former professional footballer from the Netherlands. He played as a defensive midfielder, which means he helped protect his team's defense.
George Boateng started his career with Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He then spent most of his playing days in England. He played in 384 Premier League games and scored 17 goals. He played for teams like Coventry City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and Hull City. A big moment in his career was winning the Football League Cup with Middlesbrough in 2004.
George was born in Ghana but grew up in the Netherlands. He played four times for the Netherlands national team. After retiring as a player, he became a football coach.
Contents
Playing Career: George Boateng's Journey
Early Days in Football
George Boateng was born in Nkawkaw, Ghana. When he was a child in Ghana, he loved playing football. He even played barefoot on rocky fields, even though he had proper boots! When he was 10, he moved to the Netherlands with his family.
At 16, he joined the famous Dutch club Feyenoord. He was a very versatile player, meaning he could play almost anywhere on the field. He played in every position except goalkeeper, left winger, and striker.
Moving to English Football
George was really impressed by English football after watching an exciting game between Liverpool and Newcastle in 1996. In December 1997, he moved to Coventry City for £250,000. He signed a 3-and-a-half-year contract.
He scored his first goal for Coventry on 2 May 1998. It was in a 2–0 win against Blackburn Rovers. A memorable game was on 27 February 1999, when he scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Aston Villa. This was Coventry's first-ever league win at Villa Park!
Time at Aston Villa
In July 1999, George joined Aston Villa for £4.5 million. He played 131 matches for Villa. This included the 2000 FA Cup final, where his team lost to Chelsea.
In one game against Leicester City, an opponent's boot came off. George threw it into the crowd! He quickly said sorry for his actions. He played almost every game in the 2001–02 season.
Success with Middlesbrough
In the summer of 2002, George moved to Middlesbrough for £5 million. He was unsure at first, but his Netherlands teammate Jaap Stam told him good things about the manager, Steve McClaren.
In 2004, George played in the 2004 Football League Cup final. Middlesbrough won the cup, which was their first major trophy ever! He scored his first goal for the club in October 2004 in a 4–0 win against Blackburn.
He also played in the 2006 UEFA Cup final, but Middlesbrough lost that game to Sevilla. In 2006, he signed a new three-year contract. He was also named team captain after Gareth Southgate retired and became the manager.
Playing for Hull City
On 10 July 2008, George joined Hull City, a team that had just been promoted to the Premier League. He signed a two-year contract.
On 6 February 2010, he scored his first goal for Hull City in a 2–1 win against Manchester City. This was Hull's first win since November 2009. His contract with Hull City ended in 2010 when the team was relegated from the Premier League.
Later Playing Career
After leaving Hull City, George joined the Greek team Skoda Xanthi in July 2010. He then moved to Nottingham Forest in England in July 2011. There, he reunited with his former Middlesbrough manager, Steve McClaren. He scored an important goal for Forest in a 2–2 draw against Leicester City.
In November 2012, George moved to Malaysia to play for T-Team. He signed a one-year contract with them.
International Career: Playing for the Netherlands
George Boateng was born in Ghana but grew up in the Netherlands. He chose to play for the Netherlands at international level. He was even the captain of the under-21 team.
He played four senior games for the Netherlands. His first game was on 10 November 2001, in a 1–1 draw against Denmark. He played the whole game.
Coaching Career: From Player to Coach
After his playing career, George Boateng started coaching.
Coaching in Malaysia
In 2014, George became the head coach of Kelantan in Malaysia. His first game was an exciting 3–3 draw. He later moved to a Technical Director role in March 2015. He left Kelantan in May 2015 to look for new coaching opportunities.
Coaching in England
On 5 September 2018, George joined Blackburn Rovers as the Under-13s head coach. He coached different age groups at their academy.
In July 2019, he moved to Aston Villa to become the Under-18 Professional Development Coach. In September 2020, he was promoted to coach the Under-23 squad at Aston Villa. He left Aston Villa in August 2022 to focus on coaching the Ghana national team.
Coaching the Ghana National Team
In May 2022, George Boateng became the assistant coach for the Ghana national team. This was a big role, helping his birth country prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Return to Coventry City
On 1 July 2024, George returned to one of his former clubs, Coventry City. He was appointed as a first-team coach. However, he left the club on 28 November 2024, after a new manager was appointed.
Personal Life
George Boateng is a very religious person. He is a devoted Christian and believes his faith guides how he lives his life.
Honours and Achievements
Here are some of the big achievements George Boateng had during his career:
Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
- FA Cup runner-up: 2000
Middlesbrough
- Football League Cup: 2004
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2006
See also
In Spanish: George Boateng para niños
