Jürgen Klopp gave me confidence to play again - Kevin-Prince Boateng

Former Ghanaian international Kevin-Prince Boateng has disclosed that, at a point in his career when no manager wanted him, German gaffer Jürgen Klopp came to his rescue and gave him an opportunity to play again with Borussia Dortmund.

Boateng joined German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund on loan in 2009 from English side Tottenham, after being deemed surplus to requirement following his transfer from Hertha BSC on a four-year deal for a fee worth £5.4 million at age 20.

According to Boateng, he was eager to prove his worth but fell out with coach Martin Jol who relegated him to the bench with no playing time and subsequently to Team B.

Narrating his ordeal, Kevin-Prince Boateng bitterly revealed his worst moments with Tottenham, though he was enjoying life in London but was unhappy because he was young and needed to play more, hence opted to join Jürgen Klopp at Dortmund to revive his career.

“I went on loan to Dortmund with Klopp and that was good because he gave me a lot of confidence and energy to play. He didn’t have the money to buy me, but he gave me back the feeling of being a footballer and that was really nice for me”, he said on Vibes with FIVE podcast.

“I came back to Tottenham but Tottenham for me was like a dark zone and I wanted to get out there”, he added.

During Boateng’s short loan spell with Dortmund, he featured 10 times under Jürgen Klopp before completing a permanent deal to Portsmouth in August 2009 in a three- year deal.

Boateng represented Ghana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2014 editions in South Africa and Brazil respectively.

During his four-year stay with the Black Stars of Ghana, he capped 15 times for Ghana and scored two goals before announcing his retirement in August 2023.


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