Willy Boly is a French-born Ivorian soccer player currently playing first-tier football with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England and the Ivory Coast national team. His career began in France where he was born to Ivorian Parents.
He previously played for Braga and FC Porto in Portugal before securing a permanent move to Wolves after coming to the club on loan. While at the national level, Boly plays for Ivory Coast after failure to feature for France’s national year.
Prior to all the drama of not getting the chance to play for France’s senior team, he previously represented them at the U-16, U-17, and U-19 youth levels. Below are intriguing details about the Ivorian center-back.
Amazing Facts No One Told You About Willy Boly
1. Who is he?
He was born on the 3rd day of February 1991 in Melun, a community in the north-central part of France to Ivorian parents. The 34 year-old defender grew up in a humble background in France where he got the opportunity to pursue a career in football.
Boly’s journey started from playing academy, and a call was made for him to move to Portugal where he played for two Portuguese clubs before Joining Wolverhampton Wanderers. His contributions to the club who were playing in the EFL Championship then, helped them gain promotion to first-tier English football.
2. His early football career started in France
The French-born Ivory Coast center-back played youthful football for Rosny-sous-Bois, CFF Paris, and INF Clairfontaine between 2000 and 2007. Four years later, he signed a three-year deal with an option for an extra one year with AJ Auxerre in April 2011. This was his first professional contract as a soccer player after playing for AJ Auxerre’s youthful and reserve teams.
His Ligue 1 debut was in a 1-0 away victory over Toulouse, where he played the full 90 minutes on 16th April 2011. He got his first Ligue 1 goal in a 1-1 all draw with RC Lens.
Though he became a constant in the club’s lineup for 33 games, AJ Auxerre was demoted from Ligue 1 after finishing last in the 2011/12 campaign. We are uncertain, but this may have informed his decision to sign a four-year contract with Braga in Portugal on 1st September 2014.
After spending two years with Braga, he signed a five-year contract with FC Porto with a reported buyout clause of €45 million on the last day of August 2016. He only managed to play 8 games for the club before moving to Wolves the following year.
3. A fractured fibula kept way from football action for nearly four months
His permanent move to Wolves was a reunion with Nuno Espirito Santo his former coach at Porto. He immediately established himself at the club, making 37 appearances, and helping the club to achieve promotion to the English Premier League in 2018.
Boly made his EPL debut in a 2-2 home draw with Everton on 11th August 2018 and netted his first EPL goal fourteen days later in a 1-1 home draw with Manchester City. The following year, the defender featured his left fibula during training on 26th October 2019. Four days later, had a surgery where plate and screws were inserted. He was sidelined for nearly four months until making a return to action in a goalless draw with the Red Devils at Old Trafford on 1st February 2020.
4. He ditched France for Ivory Coast
Since Willy Boly was born in France, and he played for France at the various youth level, he has eligibility to play France national team. However, he was never given the chance because of Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti’s presence.
This gave Ivory Coast the golden opportunity to invite him for them since his parents are Ivorians. Therefore, he started representing the Elephants of Ivory Coast in 2020.
He made his debut for the Ivorians in a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers.
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5. He caught Covid-19 after returning from 2021 AFCON qualifiers
When the 34 defender was away from club football and on national team duty at the 2021 AFCON qualifiers, he contracted Covid-19. So, after his return, the club announced he was suffering from the effects of a protracted Covid-19. As a result, the center-back missed football action until 19th May 2021, where he was featured in a match at Everton for 90 minutes.
6. Is Willy Boly married?
It is not certain whether the former FC Porto defender is married, or even in a relationship. From all indications, he seemed the kind of guy that doesn’t share his private life with strangers, preferring to keep everything hidden. For now, he is more focused on becoming a better defender for club and country.
7. How much does he earn?
The Ivorian defender is judiciously earning from his soccer career. He made money from his €6.50 million move from Braga to FC Porto, and subsequently, his €12 million move to Wolves from FC Porto. As of 2022, Wolves pays the defender a weekly salary of £67,308 and £3.5 million annually. He will continue to receive this amount until the expiration of his contract with the club on 30th June 2023.
Aside from what he makes from football, he also earns from endorsement deals with brands. He currently has an endorsement deal with Nike.
All these puts together contribute to his net worth which is not known as of 2022.
8. How tall is he?
Boly is quite tall and weighs slightly above two hundred pounds. His height is 6 feet 5 inches (1.95m), and his weight is 97kg (213lbs). His height and weight give him the edge in the aerial battle for the ball.
9. What is he passionate about?
Apart from football which he loves playing, he holds family dear to his heart. To show how much family means to him, it was reported that the defender in 2020 choose to spend his international break with his family in France despite his Ivory Coast national team call-up.
10. His football accolades
The French-born Ivorian defender has a few accolades at the individual and club level. They include;
- Taca de Portugal with Braga (2015/16)
- EFL Championship with Wolves (2017/18)
- PFA Team of the Year (2017/18 Championship)
Complete profile of Willy Boly
| Willy Boly | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Willy-Arnaud Zobo Boly |
| Date of Birth | 3 February 1991 |
| Age | 34 years old |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Place of Birth | Melun, France |
| Nationality | French/Ivorian |
| Education | NA |
| Career | Professional Football player |
| Playing Position | Defender |
| Clubs | 2000–2002 Rosny-sous-Bois 2002–2006 CFF Paris 2004–2007 Clairefontaine 2007–2011 Auxerre 2010–2014 Auxerre B 2011–2014 Auxerre 2014–2015 Braga B 2015–2016 Braga 2016–2018 Porto 2017–2018 → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) 2018– Wolverhampton Wanderers 2006 France U16 2007–2008 France U17 2010 France U19 2020– Ivory Coast |
| Father | NA |
| Mother | NA |
| Siblings | NA |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Spouse | NA |
| Girlfriend | NA |
| Children | NA |
| Religion | NA |
| Net Worth | NA |
| Source of Income | Football career |
| Height | 6feet 5inches(1.95m) |
| Weight | 97 kg |
| Hair color | Dark brown |
| Eye color | Black |
| Social Media | NA |
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