# Benicio Baker-Boaitey

Benicio Baker-Boaitey (born 9 January 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship club Millwall.
Baker-Boaitey, an England youth international, had spells in the youth academies of West Ham United and Porto before turning professional at Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2023. He spent the first half of the 2024–25 season on loan at Port Vale before he joined Millwall on a permanent transfer in January 2025.

## Club career
### Early career

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. He also had the opportunity to join Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach, though opted for the Primeira Liga side. Porto paid West Ham compensation in the region of £190,000.

### Brighton & Hove Albion

Baker-Boaitey signed for the academy of Brighton & Hove Albion on transfer deadline day in January 2022, initially on a six-month loan deal. The move became permanent in June 2022 after he impressed academy coach Andrew Crofts. He played in the Sussex Community Shield final and scored his penalty in the shoot-out victory over Littlehampton Town. 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. 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. 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. He featured in six games under manager Roberto De Zerbi and agreed a new contract at the end of the 2023–24 season.
On 7 August 2024, Baker-Boaitey completed a season-long loan move to League Two club Port Vale. 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. However, he was sidelined with a pelvic injury at the start of December. He was recalled to Brighton on 8 January after having made 14 appearances for the Valiants, claiming two assists, with manager Darren Moore remarking that he had been "a real game changer when on his game". When the player was sold later in the window, technical director David Weir called it "a good move for all parties".

### Millwall

On 3 February 2025, Baker-Boaitey signed a "long-term contract" with Championship club Millwall after joining for an undisclosed fee. The club's director of football, Steve Gallen, described him as "an exciting prospect" who would go straight into head coach Alex Neil's first team.

## International career

On 7 June 2024, Baker-Boaitey made his England U20 debut in a 2–1 win over Sweden at Stadion ŠRC Sesvete.

## Style of play

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. He has pace and can play as a wide or inside winger.

## Personal life

From London, he has Ghanaian heritage.

## Career statistics

    As of match played 3 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | 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 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2024–25 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Total | Total | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | 2022–23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | 2023–24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | Total | 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 |
| Millwall | 2024–25 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy