Background
Boateng was born and raised in Ghana in a home that lacked running water and electricity.
Boateng was born and raised in Ghana in a home that lacked running water and electricity.
As a preteen, he was selected to join the Right to Dream Academy where he combined academic studies with football training. In 2009 at the age of 15, Boateng moved to the United States on a scholarship to attend Cate School in Carpinteria, California. In addition to playing for the Cate School team, he also appeared for other local youth sides in Santa Barbara Soccer Club and South Coast Strikers.
He skipped his final year of high school to enroll early at the University of California, Santa Barbara, despite professional interest from Manchester City F.C. to sign him on professional terms.
While at UCSB, Boateng played college soccer for the University of California Santa Barbara Gauchos men"s soccer team In his freshman year in 2012, he appeared in 18 games, scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists.
During the summer of 2013, he played with USL Premier Development League side Ventura County Fusion while still enrolled in college. He appeared in 5 games for the Fusion, scoring once.
After receiving an invitation to train with Swedish Allsvenskan side Helsingborgs IF later that summer, Boateng paid for his own airplane ticket across the Atlantic Ocean to be able to visit the club
He made a big impression and soon thereafter they signed him to a three-and-a-half-year contract in July 2013. He would appear in 37 Allsvenskan matches over his three seasons with the club, scoring 4 times. Boateng was transferred to Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer in January 2016.
His story was featured in The Beautiful Game, a 2012 documentary about football in Africa, and on Cable News Network"s report on the Right to Dream Academy.
Outside of football, Boateng"s ambition is to become a doctor. He speaks three languages.