Kevin-Prince Boateng retires aged 36

Ghanaian international, Kevin-Prince Boateng, has announced his retirement from active football.

Boateng, who last played for his former side, Hertha Berlin retires from football at the age of 36.

The former Black Stars player took to social media platform, Instagram, to formally announce the decision.

Boateng’s announcement brings to an end an envious career that saw him feature for 15 clubs including Barcelona, AC Milan Tottenham Hotspurs, and Borussia Dortmund.

He won four trophies including the Italian Serie A with AC Milan and the Spanish La Liga with Barcelona.

In 520 matches, Boateng scored 76 goals and provided 56 assists.

He played 15 times for Ghana, scoring two goals and featured at two FIFA World Cups in 2010 and 2014.

He switched nationality from Germany to Ghana ahead of the 2010 World Cup and scored his first goal for the country in the round of 16 victory against the United States of America, helping Ghana secure a 2-1 win and progress to a historic the last eight.

Boateng also featured in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, representing Ghana under Coach Kwesi Appiah.

Unfortunately, Ghana finished last in their group, which included the United States, Germany, and Portugal.

Coming through the youth system, Boateng began his career at Hertha BSC, before joining Tottenham Hotspur in England. After a short loan spell with Borussia Dortmund, Boateng moved to Portsmouth.

In 2010 he joined Serie A side AC Milan, winning both the league and Supercoppa Italiana titles in his first season. Boateng left Milan after three seasons, returning to Germany and joining Schalke 04.

In January 2016 he returned to Milan, remaining for six months, before moving to Spanish club Las Palmas. Boateng made his third return to Germany in 2017, playing for Eintracht Frankfurt, before joining Italian side Sassuolo.

After a short loan to Barcelona, with whom he won a La Liga title, he moved back to Italy, joining Fiorentina.

In January 2020 he was sent on a six-month loan to Turkish side Beşiktaş, and in September 2020 he moved to Monza.

Boateng represented his country of birth internationally at youth level; he opted to represent Ghana at senior level 15 times between 2010 and 2014—scoring two goals—and represented them at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.