THE ARCHIVES
An Ode to…Kevin Prince Boateng
An all-too-common trope in football is players who didn’t fulfill their potential and become the world beaters we all expected them to be, and perhaps no player best personifies this better than Kevin Prince Boateng. Born in Berlin in 1987, Boateng may not have achieved the heights of his half-brother Jerome, but one thing is for certain; he will always have the respect of the streets. From his kung-fu kick goal for Las Palmas that was nominated for a Puskas Award, to his key role in the Ghana side that carried the hopes of millions all over Africa during the 2010 World Cup, Kevin never failed to entertain fans. But don’t be fooled, for he too played at an elite level, reaching his peak during his first stint with AC Milan from 2010–2013. While he was part of the Serie A TOTS in his freshman campaign as Milan won their first Scudetto since 2004, Kevin truly came into his own during the 11/12 campaign from which 3 distinct games stand out:
- His hat-trick against Lecce, as he came off the bench to help AC Milan come back from 0–3 down to win 3–4
- His thunder volley against Arsenal in the UCL RO16 to open proceedings as Milan ran riot and emerged as 4–0 winners
- Perfection. That’s the only word to describe this moment, his wonder goal against Barcelona in the UCL Group Stage, as he masterfully controlled the ball in the air before sending Eric Abidal for a hotdog with a wonderful piece of skill and rifling past Victor Valdes at his near post. His celebration matched the goal too!
Hence, while you may not have become a world beater like Messi and Ronaldo, for the moments you did give us, we at The Locker Room raise our glass to you, Kev.
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