Danny Boffin

Danny Boffin

Personal information
Full name	Daniel Edouward Boffin
Date of birth	(1965-07-10) 10 July 1965
Place of birth	Sint-Truiden, Belgium
Height
Position(s)	Winger
Youth career
	Sint-Truiden
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985–1987	Sint-Truiden	60	(8)
1987–1991	FC Liège	128	(8)
1991–1997	Anderlecht	187	(30)
1997–2001	Metz	109	(14)
2001–2003	Sint-Truiden	101	(24)
2004	Standard Liège	4	(0)
Total		589	(84)
International career
1989–2002	Belgium	53	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Daniel "Danny" Edouward Boffin (born 10 July 1965) is a Belgian retired footballer who played as a left winger.

During his professional career, which spanned nearly two decades, he played for four clubs in his country – most notably Anderlecht – and one in France, appearing in nearly 600 official games as a professional.

Boffin represented Belgium in three World Cups, the last of which occurred when he was 37.

Club career

Born in Sint-Truiden, Boffin began playing professionally for local K. Sint-Truidense VV, in the Belgian Second Division. After two solid years he moved to the top level with R.F.C. de Liège, appearing in European competition with the club, and also being instrumental as it won its first-ever domestic cup, in 1990.

At the age of 26, after more than 150 official games for Liège, Boffin signed with national giants R.S.C. Anderlecht, continuing to be an undisputed starter in his career: in his first two seasons combined he scored 13 goals, helping lead the Brussels side to three leagues in a row, as five managers were in charge of the team during his six-year spell. On 8 December 1993 he scored with his (weak) right foot to make it 3–0 at SV Werder Bremen for the season's UEFA Champions League, as the Germans incredibly recovered for the final 5–3.

Boffin moved abroad aged 32, as he signed with French side FC Metz, where he was dubbed La mobylette due to his speed. In his first season, which started on 2 August 1997 with a 1–0 win at Olympique Lyonnais, he helped his club to a best-ever finish in Ligue 1, a second place. In spite of his age, he continued to feature regularly for the Lorraine outfit.

In January 2001 Boffin returned to his first club, helping it always maintain its topflight status, while the player posted the best scoring records of his career, with 11 and 12 goals in two separate seasons; he split his final year, 2003–04, with Sint-Truiden and Standard Liège, and eventually called it quits at 39 years of age, with totals of – in the Belgian top level alone – 415 matches and 67 goals (he still played some amateur football with VV Real Nieuwerkerken).

International career

Boffin played 53 games for the Belgian national team, his debut coming on 23 August 1989 in a 3–0 friendly win with Denmark.

In the following decade, Boffin would be an important offensive member for the Diables Rouges, being selected for three FIFA World Cups: 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups, totalling five matches (only a squad member in the latter edition). Aged 35, he was overlooked for UEFA Euro 2000, played on home soil.

Honours

• Belgian League: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95
• Belgian Cup: 1989–90, 1993–94; Runner-up 1996–97, 2002–03
• Belgian Supercup: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995; Runner-up 1990
• French League Cup: Runner-up 1998–99

External links

• L'Équipe stats (French)
• FC Metz stats and bio (French)
• Danny Boffin at National-Football-Teams.com