HIRAM BOATENG

Full Name: Hiram Kojo Kwarteng Boateng

Born: 08 January 1996

1. Came from: Crystal Palace   Went to: Crystal Palace

1. First game: 08 August 2015   Last game: 31 October 2015

2. Came from: Crystal Palace   Went to: Crystal Palace

2. First game: 25 March 2016   Last game: 30 May 2016

Appearances: 30 (28/2)   Goals: 2

Born in Wandsworth, Boateng began with Crystal Palace's Academy at the age of eight. His consistent progress earned him a place in the Eagles' first team squad in the 2012-13 season and he made his debut in an FA Cup defeat at Stoke in the January, just a week after his 17th birthday. At the end of that campaign he was awarded the club's Academy Player of the Year and the following season he picked up the Vice-Presidents' Young Player of the Year award.

His second appearance for the club came a year after the first, in another FA Cup tie, this time in a win over West Bromwich Albion. A month later, in February 2014, he joined Crawley Town on a 28-day loan, which was extended for a second month, but he made only a single appearance for the West Sussex club (playing in the same side as future Argyle signing Josh Simpson). On his return he signed his first professional contract at Selhurst Park and continued to come close to further first team consideration as well as being a regular for Palace's development side.

In March 2015 the 19-year-old signed a contract extension to keep him at Palace until 2017, and that summer he became new Argyle manager Derek Adams' sixth summer signing and first loanee when he arrived at Home Park in the third week of July 2015, on a loan deal with Crystal Palace until January 2016.

Having made a significant impact in Argyle's surge to the top of League Two in first half of the season, he returned to Crystal Palace for treatment following an ankle ligament injury suffered in the 2-0 win against Morecambe at Home Park at the end of October. Having regained fitness and with the arrival of the January 2016 transfer window, it was hoped that Boateng would return to help reassert the club's promotion push. However, with injuries to key players at Selhurst Park, he was first a non-playing substitute and then came off the bench to make his Premier League debut for the Eagles in a 1-1 draw away at Swansea City in the first week of February. Hopes for his return slowly faded, but then came the good news later in March that a second loan spell had been agreed, allowing him to compete for a place in the remaining nine games of the season. Having had his first loan spell end with that October home match against Morecambe, Boateng then made the first appearance of his second spell, from the bench, in the 2-0 away win over the same opponents in late March 2016.

Returning to Crystal Palace at the end of the season, Boateng then began the 2016-17 campaign with a half-season loan at Bristol Rovers (12 appearances), followed by a three-month loan at Northampton Town (five goals in 11 games).

He was released by Crystal Palace in May 2017, having made just three appearances for them, and later that summer made a deadline-day move back to Devon, this time to Exeter City, where he joined up again with ex-Pilgrim Reuben Reid. In two League Two seasons for the Grecians, Boateng played 77 times and scored three goals.

In May 2019, having declined the offer of a new contract with Exeter, Boateng joined up with City's former manager Paul Tisdale at MK Dons, in a deal that saw Exeter receive compensation due to his age at the time of the transfer. In three League One seasons at the Buckinghamshire club, he made 65 appearance and scored five, but in the second of those three, he fell out of favour with Tisdale's replacement and in October 2020 was sent on loan to Cambridge United in League Two for the remainder of that 2020-21 season, playing an important role in his loan club's promotion to League One with 27 appearances.

In June 2022, League Two club Mansfield Town announced that Boateng had signed a three-year deal with the club. He scored a hat-trick in February 2024 and unsurprisingly won the man of the match award as they beat Harrogate Town 9-2, equalling the club's record winning scoreline. He went on to play a key role in their promotion to League One in the 2023-24 season and remained at Field Mill ahead of the Stags' 2024-25 campaign.

In early February 2025 - at the end of that season's January transfer window - Hiram's younger brother Malachi signed for Argyle on a three and half-year contract for an undisclosed fee, from Heart of Midlothian.

After three season with the Stags, Boateng moved away from Field Mill having made over 100 appearances for the club, scoring 10 times. He moved to ambitious National League side York City for the 2025-26 season.