Ghanaian midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has no plans to retire after assisting Hertha BSC in avoiding relegation from the German Bundesliga.
“Sure, I still want to. I’m in a good mood, even if you didn’t always see it, I was back, exactly when it matters, I’ll be back,” said the 35-year-old late on Monday evening after the 2-0 win in the relegation second leg Hamburger SV. “You could write: The Prince is back,” added Boateng.
Last summer, managing director Fredi Bobic brought Boateng back to his hometown club. He only got part-time assignments, if at all, due to his lack of fitness and injuries.
His contract expires at the end of June.
In the team’s hierarchy, the former Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, and FC Barcelona player played a crucial role.
Coach Felix Magath, who left after the rescue, described him as the only true leader recently. Before the crucial game, the coach sought Boateng’s advice and included him in the line-up decision.
“Huge respect for the coach, what a sensitivity he has. It was clear he’s a special guy, I’m a special guy. These can either clash or we get along better – and we get along better. He gave me a free hand, he asked me who do you see better in which position, we did a great job together, not many coaches do that,” said Boateng.
Rebuilding with Hertha will be a difficult task, says the midfielder. But he would be willing to cooperate. “We’ll be very insightful. We’ll talk a lot, if I can still have a say, let’s see what happens. We have to learn a lot, we have to calm down. We need to be a family again like we were today. That’s Hertha BSC, for Berlin, »said Boateng.
