CITY Magazine Official Interview – George Boateng

By: Matt | March 6th, 2009

Here is an interview with Hull City’s midfield battler George Boateng. While the Dutch international has had some injury problems this season, his experience is a huge boost for the side when fit.

From HCAFC’s CITY Magazine:

George Boateng – ‘Vital Experience’

The week before Christmas in 1997, the Teletubbies were riding high in the charts with ‘Say Eh-Oh’, blockbusting movie ‘Titanic’ had just opened in New York and Mark Hateley’s Hull City were struggling in Division Three.

In the Premier League, Coventry City held off competition from several rival clubs to sign a largely unknown young midfielder from top Dutch club Feyenoord. His name? George Boateng. Eleven years – and almost 500 games later – Boateng is still plying his trade in the English top-flight.

Although born in Ghana, Boateng spent his childhood in Holland. He almost became a fighter pilot in the Dutch Air Force but, fortunately, settled on a high flying football career instead. He’s won a whole host of honours including three caps for Holland and played in the final of the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup. He is one of the most experienced – and respected – figures in the game. That’s why Phil Brown paid £1m to secure his services from Middlesbrough last summer.

We caught up with Boateng before he picked up his knee injury against Newcastle to see how he was enjoying his time with the Tigers. What can he remember of his debut in England? What are his plans for the future? We caught up with the 33-year-old for a chat about all things football…

It’s eleven years since you came to England. Apparently, a few clubs were interested. Why did you opt for Coventry?
I was playing in Holland and was playing in different positions. I was tired of that. I wanted to play in midfield so when Coventry came in and offered me that opportunity I was really happy.

Who was in charge at Coventry at the time?
Gordon Strachan was the manager. He said to me: ‘It’s Tuesday now. If you sign this week, you will play on Saturday at Liverpool and you will start in midfield.’ So, I signed on the Thursday. Everything was sorted quickly. I travelled to Liverpool on Friday, ready to play on Saturday.

Can you remember much about that game?
Yes. I was facing Jamie Redknapp. He was in midfield. We lost 1-0 but it was a great game for me to start my career in England.

So, eleven years ago, did you still think you would still be playing Premier League football in 2009?
No, no. Back then, I remember going to Villa Park with Coventry. As we pulled up at Villa Park, I was sitting at the front of the bus. I said to myself, ‘Oh God, if one day I could play for a team like this (Villa) I would be over the moon.’ I was so impressed with everything at Villa Park. Strachan said to me: ‘Do you know what George? We’ve never won here – not in the league, not in the cup.’ I said: ‘Oh great.’ After the game – and we’d beaten them – I said to Strachan: ‘Did you used to visit here with your reserves?’ We laughed about it. I never thought I would stay in England for so long. There again, I never looked that far ahead. I always focussed on what was ahead of me in the short-term.

You left Coventry earlier than scheduled and joined Villa?
Yes. I’d signed a three-and-a-half year deal with Coventry and I was sold after 15 months. Coventry bought me for £200,000 from Feyenoord and Villa paid £4.5m 15 months later. It was only because when I left Feyenoord to join Coventry, that’s when the new Bosman ruling was coming in. I left Feyenoord in December but if I’d gone at the end of that season, I would have gone on a free. That was 11 years ago. Still, £200,000 was a lot of money back then.

Aren’t you the longest serving overseas’ player in the Premier League?
Yes – and I am very proud of that. I speak to Robin Van Persie a lot and he’s aware of this and says he’s going to try and take my record away. He wants to be the number one. I tell him: ‘We will see!’

Haven’t we also read that you hold another record?
Yes, I think so. I am also the number one for the number of games played – but only for an out-field player. Mark Schwarzer is number one – but he’s a goalkeeper. I’m number one for outfield players. I also need to clear this up. I am the longest serving of all the Dutch players who have come to England. Of all the foreigners, I think I am second behind Dwight Yorke.

Again, you must be proud of that record?
Yes, of course. When I look back, it’s great for me after all those years to say I am still playing games at Premier League level. That’s why I was grateful than when I realised I needed a new challenge, I was able to come to Hull.

Some people suggested it was a gamble joining a newly promoted club?
Sure, but I was always confident. I was very impressed with Hull – and what the manager and the chairman wanted. However, I think we did better than even I expected. But, even if we’d struggled in the first half of the season, I wouldn’t have minded because I really wanted to do this. I was stepping out of my comfort zone at Middlesbrough to take on a new challenge. To get almost 30 points in the first half of the season – well, that was amazing.

So, when it came to leaving Middlesbrough, you didn’t want to drop below the Barclays Premier League?
No. When I first came to England, I was a lot faster and I had more energy. Sometimes, Strachan used to say that during the week, he wanted me to sit down and take things easy. I said I had so much energy and it would be no problem playing the next game on the Saturday. Now, as you get older, my game is not about running all the time. It’s more about finding the right positions. In the lower divisions, they have players who train hard but maybe it is less skillful than the Premier League. Your game might suffer.

You are obviously happy at Hull but what about the future?
I’ll let you into a secret. I have always had a dream to finish playing for Feyenoord – my home team. I would rather go back there than play in England in the lower division. But things could change. Football can be a funny game. Who knows?

What about coaching or management?
I was never a big fan. I don’t think black people can handle stress very well. There aren’t many black managers in the Premier League. Paul Ince is the only one – and he didn’t last long! We don’t handle stress. Now, I’m here, watching Phil Brown, how he’s dealing with the players, how he’s coaching and stuff, I am changing my mind in terms of maybe it’s time to start getting my badges. I might not do anything with them but perhaps it might open a few doors. Who knows?

So George Boateng, a manager?
I don’t know. Ideally, I would like to do TV. Of course, the money is a lot less. Some of the best managers can get three or four million a year but TV is less stressful. I enjoy doing TV. When I was younger and at Feyenoord, I helped present the European games on TV and I was only 18 or 19. Since then, TV has always been something I’ve loved doing. Maybe when I’ve stopped playing, then I might go into management. That’s why it is essential I start doing my coaching badges now. TV, though, would be my priority.

You’ve still plenty to play for at Hull City, though?
Oh man! The first five or six months have been tremendous. People have to realise that while we’ve had a disappointing period in terms of results but then, speaking out of experience, there hasn’t been a season in the Premier League – whether it was Coventry, Villa or Middlesbrough – that we never had a period when there wasn’t a dip in form. It has always been like that. When I was at Villa, I remember we were third at the end of October. Then, we struggled from October to February, a long time. Then, from February to May, we picked it up again and we finished fifth. So, I always say, when you are struggling in terms of results, you have to find a level of consistency, try not to go too low as a team and then gradually pick yourself up. When people ask me now if I am enjoying it, I always say it is great. I believe this team has shown how we can play. It’s difficult to maintain that during a whole season but this team will come good again. We will make sure we stay in the division.

So, consistency is the key?
Sure. Look at Arsenal. They are in the top four or five but they have been going through a difficult time. Everyone expected them to be first or second. But they have lost at home to Hull, to Villa. How do they feel? Then, there’s Chelsea and Tottenham. I look at the table and Tottenham have 21 points, their players are worth three times ours. Put yourself in Tottenham’s position. Hull fans should be delighted with what we’ve done here. I am enjoying it. I love it. I love the lads and I can’t wait for us to play the match that we know will secure our Premier League status.

Survival is still the name of the game. What about talk of Europe when things were going well?
Staying in this division was always the priority. That is still the same. We have always said that, from the very start. I went to do Sky TV early on in the season, when we were third and fourth. In the interview, they kept saying that surely you have to change your objective and look at Europe. I said back then that I didn’t think that was healthy for the club. The reason was I felt the club was growing too fast to keep up – if you know what I mean. This is the first season we’ve had a good mix of players who have appeared in League One and the Championship – and players who have played international football and in the Premiership. If you quality for Europe, then the manager would have cut half his team again, because he would have to sign players who had played in European football – and in the Premiership. We are still doing everything we can to get things right for the Premier League, on and off the field. It’s not that I don’t want to qualify for Europe. Maybe next season. If we do, then great – we will deal with it. It’s just the aim was – and still is – to stay in the competition and I’ve stuck with that.

Are you confident the club will avoid relegation?
Of course. We are not in a relegation battle – although our form is not good. It is a very close division this season but looking at the table at the moment, we are still seven or eight points clear. If we win another game, it could be 11 points clear. It’s whether the cup is half empty, or half full. For me, it’s half full. The first 15 games have given us a foundation to build on.

Interview reproduced from CITY Magazine – the official monthly magazine of Hull City AFC. To order logon to www.tigerleisure.com