| Benicio Baker-Boaitey | |
| Fullname: | Benicio Baker-Boaitey[1] |
| Birth Date: | 9 January 2004 |
| Birth Place: | Hammersmith, England[2] |
| Position: | Left winger |
| Currentclub: | Port Vale (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion) |
| Clubnumber: | 37 |
| Youthyears1: | –2020 |
| Youthclubs1: | West Ham United |
| Youthyears2: | 2020–2022 |
| Youthclubs2: | Porto |
| Youthyears3: | 2022 |
| Youthclubs3: | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) |
| Youthyears4: | 2022–2023 |
| Youthclubs4: | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Years1: | 2023– |
| Clubs1: | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Caps1: | 5 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2024– |
| Clubs2: | → Port Vale (loan) |
| Caps2: | 10 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | England U16 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2024 |
| Nationalteam2: | England U20 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 00:15, 4 December 2024 (UTC) |
Benicio Baker-Boaitey (born 9 January 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left winger for club Port Vale, on loan from club Brighton & Hove Albion. He previously had spells in the youth academies of West Ham United and Porto. He is also an England youth international.
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.[3] He also had the opportunity to join Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach, though opted for the Primeira Liga side.[4] [5] [6] Porto paid West Ham compensation in the region of £190,000.[7]
Baker-Boaitey signed for the academy of Brighton & Hove Albion on transfer deadline day in January 2022, initially on a six-month loan deal.[8] [9] The move became permanent in June 2022 after he impressed academy coach Andrew Crofts.[10] [11] He played in the Sussex Community Shield final and scored his penalty in the shoot-out victory over Littlehampton Town.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] He featured in six games under manager Roberto De Zerbi and agreed a new contract at the end of the 2023–24 season.[16]
On 7 August 2024, Benicio completed a season-long loan move to League Two club Port Vale.[17] 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.[18]
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.[19] He has pace and can play as a wide or inside winger.[20]
On 7 June 2024, Baker-Boaitey made his England U20 debut in a 2–1 win over Sweden at Stadion ŠRC Sesvete.[21]
From London, he has Ghanaian heritage.[22] [23]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2023–24 | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | 2022–23 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Port Vale (loan) | 2024–25 | League Two | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Career total | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||