Boateng has signed a one-year contract with Hertha, where he made his professional debut back in 2005.
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Kevin-Prince Boateng has confirmed that Hertha Berlin will mark the end of his playing career, which has witnessed its fair share of clubs. Boateng has joined his boyhood club again ahead of the 2021/22 Bundesliga campaign. The attacker has signed a one-year contract with Hertha, having made his professional debut with the club back in 2005.
Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund, Portsmouth, Genoa, AC Milan, Schalke, Las Palmas, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sassuolo, Barcelona, Fiorentina, Besiktas and Monza represent some of the clubs he represented over the years. Boateng will be looking to end his career on a high in the German capital.
“I still can’t believe it, it’s a dream come true. We started discussions about 18 months ago, then Fredi [Bobic] came in [as managing director for sport]. I told him: ‘I only have one dream – I want to pull on the Hertha shirt at the Olympiastadion one more time.’ Fredi said: ‘Let’s do everything to make that dream a reality’. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but it’ll be enough for me. It’s definitely my last club,” he told German daily Bild following his return to Hertha.
“I know I have to knuckle down. The Bundesliga’s a more athletic league than it was, the lads are younger – they don’t stop running. Luckily, my positional play is good (laughs). There are some talented players here, but it’s a young team that needs leadership. I know all too well that talent alone isn’t enough. I learnt that, especially in Milan. The dressing room was full of superstars. That’s when I knew that if you don’t work hard, you won’t play. I certainly haven’t come here and said: ‘I’m Prince Boateng, I have to play every game.”
It is certainly interesting to note the manner in which Boateng does not expect regular game time despite being a Serie A, La Liga and DFB Cup winner.
Boateng revealed that he received a call from Bayern Munich legend Franck Ribery, shortly after signing for Hertha.
“Franck called me, and told me to wrap up warm. He’s in great shape for his age, and has shown in Italy that he’s still among the best. If Hertha ever want him, I only have good things to say about him. But I’m not in charge. I don’t know what Fredi has planned. Lionel Messi is also a free agent (laughs). Hertha want to be playing in Europe in the future. For that, you need experience and a deep squad. Everyone’s working towards that. As for the DFB Cup final in Berlin, we all had that dream when I was here at 17. We all talked about it, but perhaps it’s best not to. That way, it’ll be a nice surprise for us all.”
Boateng is a veteran with over 420 competitive club appearances. 129 of those were recorded in the Bundesliga along with two World Cups. It will be interesting to see how he performs for Hertha. Bowing out with a trophy would certainly make it an incredible farewell to the game.
