Back in business

Ghana-born George Boateng, a forceful presence, was one of Hull’s key summer signings following promotion to the top division for the first time in its history. He boasts a wealth of experience having previously played for Feyenoord, Coventry,Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, writes Andy Hampson.

George Boateng is a vastly-experienced midfielder and former Netherlands international who is now plying his trade with Barclays English Premier League newcomer Hull City after a decade in the country’s top flight.

Ghana-born Boateng, a forceful presence, was one of Hull’s key summer signings following promotion to the top division for the first time in its history. He boasts a wealth of experience having previously played for Feyenoord, Coventry, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.

Boateng was born in Nkawkaw but spent his younger days in Accra, where he lived with his mother, a hairdresser, until the age of 10. It was then he left to join his father in Holland.

The next phase of Boateng’s upbringing was spent in the town of Spijkenisse. He settled in well, learnt Dutch quickly and made friends with whom he played football. At the age of 13 he caught the eye of a Sparta Rotterdam scout while playing at school but had little knowledge of the professional game and was not interested in a trial.

Instead, he joined the local club at Spijkenisse and played in its youth ranks. After three years he was spotted by Feyenoord and this time grabbed the opportunity. Two years later he was awarded his first professional contract. He was a regular in the reserves in 1994-95 but was sent out to Dutch Division One side Excelsior for six months.

After that, he broke into the Feyenoord team and was a key member of the squad that reached two European Cup Winners’ Cup finals and also went close to winning the Dutch title.

However, his versatility meant he was often deployed at right-back rather than his preferred midfield position and he soon grew frustrated. In 1998 he joined Coventry, then in the English Premier League, in a GBP220,000 deal in the hope of progressing his career as a midfielder.

He made his debut against Liverpool and proved an instant hit. He was hailed as one of the signings of the season and helped the Sky Blues finish in mid-table. After less than two full seasons at Coventry, he was snapped up by Aston Villa for GBP4.5 million. His game improved at Villa and he helped the club to the English FA Cup final in his first season.

Yet things turned sour at Villa and his relationship with the club deteriorated. Boateng cites the final few months of his spell at Villa as particularly unpleasant. “Personal things happened at the club towards me, unpleasant things,” Boateng said, vaguely. “But because the football was going well I didn’t want to make an issue or a problem out of them. After six months I could feel the problems were getting worse, especially around December (2001).”

He then recalls being hit hard by the resignation of manager John Gregory and says the final straw came when he was publicly humiliated by the compere at the club’s end-of-season awards dinner.

He requested a transfer in the summer of 2002 and was sold to Middlesbrough for GBP5 million. Boateng soon became Boro’s principal defensive midfielder and helped the club to English League Cup glory in 2004. It was the runner-up in the UEFA Cup two years later.

Boateng was made captain for the start of the 2006-07 season but in January 2008 manager Gareth Southgate decided to take the armband off him, citing a need for him to concentrate on his performances. In the summer, Southgate said he would not stand in his way should he want to leave. After rumours linking him with a Villa return, the strongest interest came from Hull.

Boateng is married to Adriana, his partner since before he left Holland for Coventry. Boateng funds a church and refuge centre for disadvantaged children back in Ghana which is run by his mother.

During his time at Excelsior, Boateng bought his first car — a Suzuki Swift. He has gone up in the world since and now drives as GBP97,000 Porsche 911 Turbo.

FACTFILEName: George BoatengPosition: MidfielderClub: HullD.O.B.: 05/09/1985Holland caps: 3Holland goals: 0Holland debut: v Denmark, November 2001Moment to remember

Boateng may have played in the UEFA Champions League for Feyenoord and enjoyed a long spell at the top in England, but he has just one winners’ medal to his name. That came with Middlesbrough’s historic English League Cup win in 2004 — the club’s first-ever trophy. Boro beat Bolton 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Moment to forget

Boateng admits he is embarrassed now by one of his final games for Villa, when the club was toiling against already-relegated Leicester. Frustrated, he went in hard on Paul Dickov just as the final whistle blew. Such was the impact, Dickov lost a boot. Boateng picked it up in anger and tried to hurl it out of the ground. It hit the roof of the stand and fell back.

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