Dedryck Boyata

Anga Dedryck Boyata is a Belgian professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish club Celtic FC under manager former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. Boyata was born on 28 November 1990 in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium. He is a centre-back who is solid at tackles and also is good at headers.

Background

Boyata began playing football at a local club in Brussels at the age of 13. He played there for three years before moving to Manchester City’s youth system. He was developed into a solid centre-back and blended right into the system. His father was a Congolese national footballer who played during the early 1990s.

Boyata has played for the following teams - Brussels, Manchester City, FC Twente, Bolton Wanderers, Celtic, Belgium U19, U21 and senior sides.

Debut

Boyata made his professional debut for Manchester City on 2 January 2010 against Middlesborough in a FA Cup third round clash. He helped his side keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win.

On 10 October 2010, Boyata received his first cap for Belgium in a 4-4 draw against Austria. He came on as a substitute at half-time for Toby Alderweireld.

Rise to Glory

After entering the youth system at Manchester City, Boyata achieved some stability and was selected to play for the Belgium U19 team. He played 12 matches and scored two goals, which was impressive for a centre back. He was solid at the back, making tackles and winning duels which showed his dominance.

He went on to play for the U21 team, playing against Malta in a 1-0 win. He played 11 matches and helped himself to a full first team promotion at his club. In late 2010, Boyata was called up by Belgium manager Georges Leekes to be a part of the squad to play against Kazakhstan and Austria. He made his international debut against Austria as a substitute.

Boyata played his second match against Portugal in a friendly where he came on as a substitute for Jason Denayer in the 86th minute. He played another two friendlies which were his last. He was a substitute in three out of four matches.

Club Career

Since becoming Manchester City’s youth product, different clubs were on the lookout for a good centre back and Boyata was one. But his quality was recognised and he made his full team debut soon. Inconsistency and the presence of better centre backs like Vincent Kompany made it hard for Boyata to find playing time. He made a total of 35 appearances in over six years and soon found himself looking for more game time.

In 2011, Boyata was loaned out to Bolton Wanderers in a season-long deal. He made 17 appearances and scored one goal. Another loan move came in 2012 when Boyata joined Eredivisie side FC Twente. He made only 10 appearances there.

On his return to Manchester City, he started a match against Wigan Athletic in the League Cup. He played only six times in his final season, which included only one start. In June 2015, Celtic availed the services of Boyata for a fee of about £1.5 million.

Boyata’s fortunes turned in Scotland, and he became a regular starter for Brendan Rodgers’ side. He has made 94 appearances in all competitions so far, scoring 13 goals and providing 5 assists. He won the Scottish League with them twice, the Scottish Cup once and the Scottish League Cup once. The only other title which he won was the FA Cup with Manchester City.