Former midfielder Derek Boateng has revealed that he misses playing for Ghana at the international level, even though he retired from football in five years ago.
Boateng earned 47 caps for the four-time African champions before his retirement in 2015. He explained that he decided to step aside to make way for younger talents due to the physical demands of top-level international competition.
After eight years of retirement, the 40-year-old has expressed his longing to represent his nation on the international stage. He shared his feelings on Instagram, writing, “I miss playing for my motherland Ghana.”
Boateng’s journey with the Ghanaian national teams began at the junior levels, including the Black Starlets and Black Satellites, before he made his mark with the senior national team, the Black Stars.
The former Fulham midfielder played a crucial role in the Black Stars’ journey to the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In total, he earned 47 caps and scored four goals for Ghana, also participating in the 2012 and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Derek Boateng began his professional career in Ghana, playing for Liberty Professionals, before venturing abroad to continue his football journey. He went on to represent various European clubs, including Panathinaikos, Getafe, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Fulham, and Eibar, among others.