| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Darren Raekwon McIntosh-Buffonge [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 November 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) [2] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder [3] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Arsenal | |||
| 2010–2015 | Fulham | ||
| 2015–2019 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2020 | Spezia | 3 | (0) |
| 2020 | → Pergolettese (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | NAC Breda | 17 | (1) |
| 2023 | Telstar | 4 | (0) |
| 2024 | Emmen | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 May 2024 | |||
Darren Raekwon McIntosh-Buffonge (born 7 November 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder. [4]
Buffonge started in the youth system of Arsenal, prior to making the move across his hometown to Fulham in 2010. [1] [5] [6] After five years with Fulham, Buffonge was signed by Manchester United's academy on trial ahead of the 2015–16 campaign. [7] After impressing the likes of Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Mcguinnes, the central midfielder penned his scholarship and professional terms on 13 November 2015; despite missing several months with a groin injury. [7] He left United on 30 June 2019 having not featured at first-team level, though did train with the senior squad on many occasions under Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and briefly Ole Gunnar Solskjaer . [5] [8] [9] In the months leading up to his departure, Buffonge had trials with EFL Championship duo Derby County and Bolton Wanderers. [10] [11]
On 9 August 2019, Buffonge moved abroad to join Italian Serie B side Spezia; penning a one-year contract, with the option of a further year. [2] He made his professional debut on 18 August in the Coppa Italia, replacing Delano Burgzorg after sixty-two minutes of a defeat to Sassuolo of Serie A. [4] [12] His first Serie B appearance arrived a week later against Cittadella. [4]
On 31 January 2020, he was loaned to Serie C club Pergolettese. [13] He made one league appearance, against Lecco on 9 February, before COVID-19 pandemic stopped that loan spell prematurely. [4]
On 14 August 2020, Buffonge joined Dutch Eerste Divisie side NAC Breda. [14] His debut arrived on 29 August against Jong AZ, having replaced Moreno Rutten after eighty-five minutes of a 6–1 victory. [4] He scored his first senior goal whilst with the club, netting in a 4–1 win away to MVV Maastricht on 6 November. [4]
His contract was not extended after the 2021–22 season, making him a free agent. [15] [16]
In January 2023, Buffonge joined Eerste Divisie side Telstar. [17]
On 25 January 2024, Buffonge joined Emmen on an amateur basis. [18]
Buffonge is eligible for England, Montserrat, Antigua & Barbuda, and Trinidad & Tobago. In February 2017, Buffonge was selected by Antigua and Barbuda for the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Costa Rica. [19] [20] However, Buffonge didn't appear at the tournament after being replaced by Ajani Thomas. [21] He was later called up to represent Montserrat for their 2026 World Cup Qualifying campaign, before pulling out of the squad due to an injury sustained in a friendly against Miami United.
Buffonge's brother, Dajour, is also a footballer who played internationally for Montserrat. [22]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Spezia | 2019–20 | Serie B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Pergolettese (loan) | 2019–20 | Serie C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| NAC Breda | 2020–21 | Eerste Divisie | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||||