Benicio Baker-Boaitey

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Benicio Baker-Boaitey
Personal information
Full name Benicio Baker-Boaitey [1]
Date of birth (2004-01-09) 9 January 2004 (age 22) [2]
Place of birth Hammersmith, England [3]
Position Winger
Team information
Current team
Millwall
Number 26
Youth career
–2020 West Ham United
2020–2022 Porto
2022 → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
2022–2023 Brighton & Hove Albion
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2023–2025 Brighton & Hove Albion 5 (0)
2024–2025 → Port Vale (loan) 10 (0)
2025– Millwall 0 (0)
International career
2019 England U16 2 (0)
2024 England U20 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 December 2025

Benicio Baker-Boaitey (born 9 January 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship club Millwall.

Contents

Baker-Boaitey, an England youth international, had spells in the youth academies of West Ham United and Porto before turning professional at Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2023. He spent the first half of the 2024–25 season on loan at Port Vale before he joined Millwall on a permanent transfer in January 2025.

Club career

Early career

Having come through the youth academy of West Ham United, Baker-Boaitey was 16 when he rejected a professional contract with them to join FC Porto in 2020. [4] He also had the opportunity to join Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach, though opted for the Primeira Liga side. [5] [6] [7] Porto paid West Ham compensation in the region of £190,000. [8]

Brighton & Hove Albion

Baker-Boaitey signed for the academy of Brighton & Hove Albion on transfer deadline day in January 2022, initially on a six-month loan deal. [9] [10] The move became permanent in June 2022 after he impressed academy coach Andrew Crofts. [11] [12] He played in the Sussex Community Shield final and scored his penalty in the shoot-out victory over Littlehampton Town. [13] He featured ten times for Brighton under-21's in Premier League 2 during the 2022–23 season. He signed a new one-year contract with the club in July. [14] On 12 November 2023, he was named among the match day squad in the Premier League as Brighton played against Sheffield United at Falmer Stadium. [15] Three weeks later on 3 December, Baker-Boaitey made his senior and professional debut with the Albion, coming on as a late substitution in a 3–2 loss to Chelsea. [16] He featured in six games under manager Roberto De Zerbi and agreed a new contract at the end of the 2023–24 season. [17]

On 7 August 2024, Baker-Boaitey completed a season-long loan move to League Two club Port Vale. [18] On 7 September, he started in a 4–1 win at Newport County and was subsequently named in the EFL League Two Team of the Week. [19] However, he was sidelined with a pelvic injury at the start of December. [20] He was recalled to Brighton on 8 January after having made 14 appearances for the Valiants, claiming two assists, with manager Darren Moore remarking that he had been "a real game changer when on his game". [21] [22] When the player was sold later in the window, technical director David Weir called it "a good move for all parties". [23]

Millwall

On 3 February 2025, Baker-Boaitey signed a "long-term contract" with Championship club Millwall after joining for an undisclosed fee. [24] The club's director of football, Steve Gallen, described him as "an exciting prospect" who would go straight into head coach Alex Neil's first team. [25] However, he did not feature in the remainder of the 2024–25 season or the 2025–26 campaign. [26] [27]

International career

On 7 June 2024, Baker-Boaitey made his England U20 debut in a 2–1 win over Sweden at Stadion ŠRC Sesvete. [28]

Style of play

Baker-Boaitey has been described as a left-footed wide player, with comparisons made in his style of play to former Juventus player Douglas Costa. [29] He has pace and can play as a wide or inside winger. [30]

Personal life

From London, he has Ghanaian heritage. [31] [32]

Career statistics

As of match played 3 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague FA Cup EFL Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Brighton & Hove Albion 2023–24 [33] Premier League 5010000060
2024–25 [26] Premier League000000—00
Total5010000060
Brighton & Hove Albion U21 2022–23 [34] ————1 [a] 010
2023–24 [33] ————3 [a] 030
Total0000004040
Port Vale (loan) 2024–25 [26] League Two 10010102 [a] 0140
Millwall 2024–25 [26] Championship 0000——00
2025–26 [27] Championship0000000000
2026–27 [35] Championship000000—00
Total0000000000
Career total150201060240
  1. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy

References

  1. ↑ Squad Lists 2024/25 & U21 Unregistered Contract Players (PDF). EFL. September 2024. p. 79. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  2. ↑ Benicio Baker-Boaitey at Soccerway
  3. ↑ "Squads - English Premier League 2022/2023". Football Squads. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  4. ↑ Thomas, Roshane. "West Ham are famed as the academy of football, so why are so many youngsters leaving?". The Athletic. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Nana Yaw Kwafo, Eric (2 September 2020). "Teenager Benicio Baker-Boaitey Joins FC Porto On A Free Transfer". Modrrnghana. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ghanaian youngster Benicio Baker-Boaitey confirms talk with Borrusia Monchengladbach". Ghanaweb. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  7. ↑ Heywood Okine, Sammy (4 September 2020). "Ghanaian Teen Benicio Baker-Boaitey Swerves Bayern Munich To Join FC Porto". Modernghana. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Howard, Derren (31 January 2022). "Brighton make late deadline day swoop for ex-West Ham and Porto attacker with hours to spare". Sussex World. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  9. ↑ Mills, Richard (31 January 2022). "Brighton sign former West Ham youngster and Bayern Munich target on loan from Porto" . Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  10. ↑ Howard, Derren (5 February 2022). "Graham Potter lays out plan for Benicio Baker-Boaitey after surprise swoop for ex-West Ham and Porto attacker". Sussex World. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  11. ↑ Harris, Richard (20 June 2022). "Brighton sign former West Ham youngster and FC Porto talent on permanent deal". Sussex Live. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Owen, Brian (20 June 2022). "Albion complete permanent deal for hard-working winger". The Argus. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Albion forced to shootout in Community Shield win". sussexfa.com. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  14. ↑ "Benicio Baker-Boaitey extends contract with Brighton". Ghanaweb. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "BRIGHTON VS. SHEFF UTD". Soccerway. 12 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Match report: Chelsea 3 Brighton 2". Chelseafc.com. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Howard, Derren (5 June 2024). "Four in and five out: Brighton confirm contract decisions for nine talents ahead of new season". Sussex World. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  18. ↑ "Baker-Boaitey joins Port Vale on loan". Brighton & Hove Albion FC. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  19. ↑ Baggaley, Mike (9 September 2024). "Plans coming together for Vale". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  20. ↑ Baggaley, Mike (6 January 2025). "Building on a strong start to the New Year". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  21. ↑ "Benicio Baker-Boaitey: Port Vale loan man exits Burslem for Brighton". BBC Sport. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  22. ↑ "Benicio Baker-Boaitey Returns to Brighton". Port Vale FC. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  23. ↑ Howard, Derren (3 February 2025). "'A good move' - Brighton confirm first deadline day transfer as ex-West Ham ace exits". SussexWorld. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  24. ↑ "Benicio Baker-Boaitey: Millwall sign Brighton winger for undisclosed fee". BBC Sport. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  25. ↑ Cawley, Richard (3 February 2025). "Millwall complete deal for Brighton winger". South London News. Archived from the original on 7 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  26. 1 2 3 4 "Games played by Benicio Baker-Boaitey in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  27. 1 2 "Games played by Benicio Baker-Boaitey in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  28. ↑ Drury, Adam (7 June 2024). "Report: Sweden 1-2 England Elite League Squad". englandfootball.com. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "Benicio Baker-Boaitey: West Ham winger set for Bayern Munich talks". Sky Sports. 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  30. ↑ Baggaley, Mike (9 August 2024). "Ready to go for new Vale era". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "English-Ghanaian youngster Benicio Baker-Boaitey extends contract with Brighton". Footballghana. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  32. ↑ "Ghanaian youngster Benicio Baker-Boaitey extends Brighton contract". Ghanasoccernet. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  33. 1 2 "Games played by Benicio Baker-Boaitey in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Benicio Baker-Boaitey in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Benicio Baker-Boaitey in 2026/2027". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 July 2026.