English Premier League (EPL) star footballer George Boateng was signed to Malaysian football club The Titans, according to an announcement made by an official on November 19,2012. It is not a common occurrence for someone from the EPL to play for a Malaysian club, however the former Middlebrough captain has been snapped up for a two-year contract with the Terengganu based club.
Rozi Marnat is the youth and sports minister for the state and he said that the new signing is part of a plan which will see the Malaysian club competing for international honors. According to Marnat, players such as the 37-year-old Boateng bring in vast international experience, which will help the Titans compete at the Asian level.
The Dutch midfielder will be an asset to the team and very influential in the middle, according to new coach Peter Butler. Butler was in the news recently when he accused the goalkeeper of his former Terengganu club of match-fixing, an allegation which has since been cleared.
Boateng rubbished claims that the move to Malaysia was a result of a paid vacation, saying that he had played against the best midfielders in the world such as David Becham, Zinedine Zidane and Paul Scholes, as a result he has a good name and reputation to protect.
If the deal goes smoothly for Boating, he will join the ranks of former players from the 1990’s such as Tony Cottee and David Rocastle in becoming another international player to have graced the Malaysian league.
