// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Eric Bocat? Cat got your Eric Bo?
_(cropped).jpg) Bocat in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eric-Junior Doriane Magate Kom Baga Bocat[1][2] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 July 1999[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Paris, France[2] | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Left-back[3] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Stoke City | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2014 | Val d'Europe | ||
| 2015–2017 | US Torcy | ||
| 2017–2018 | Dijon | ||
| 2018–2019 | Brest | ||
| 2019–2020 | Lille | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Dijon B | 11 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Brest B | 24 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Lille B | 20 | (0) |
| 2020 | Lille | 0 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Mouscron | 33 | (1) |
| 2022–2024 | Sint-Truiden | 59 | (2) |
| 2024– | Stoke City | 59 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:45, 2 May 2026 (UTC) | |||
Eric-Junior Doriane Magate Kom Baga Bocat (born 16 July 1999) is a French professional footballer who plays as a left-back for EFL Championship club Stoke City.
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Bocat was born in Paris and began playing football with youth teams Val d'Europe and US Torcy in Seine-et-Marne before joining the Dijon academy. He made eleven appearances for Dijon's B team in 2017–18 and 24 appearances for Brest's B team in 2018–19 before he joined Lille in August 2019.[4] Bocat played for Lille's B team 20 times in the Championnat National 2 during the 2019–20 campaign and made his senior debut in a Coupe de France round of 16 tie against SAS Épinal which ended in a shock 2–1 defeat.[5]
Mouscron
[edit]Bocat left Lille on 1 August 2020 and signed for Belgian top flight club Mouscron.[6] He only made nine appearances in 2020–21 as Mouscron suffered relegation to the First Division B amid severe financial problems.[2] He was a regular in 2021–22, playing 27 times as Mouscron's situation worsened and they were declared bankrupt at the end of the season.[7]
Sint-Truiden
[edit]After two seasons at Mouscron, Bocat signed for Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truiden in July 2022.[8] In his first season at Stayen, Bocat made 25 appearances as Sint-Truiden finished in a mid-table position of 12th. In 2023–24, Bocat only missed three games as the team had a decent campaign, finishing ninth and competed in the European play-offs.[9]
Stoke City
[edit]On 26 June 2024, Bocat joined English Championship side Stoke City for an undisclosed fee,[10][11] reported to be around €1.5 million, plus €500,000 in add-ons,[12] signing a four-year deal.[10][11] Following the announcement of the transfer it was revealed that they had looked into signing the defender the previous transfer window, instead using the budget to prioritise the signing of a forward player, Million Manhoef.[13] Bocat had a stop-start first season in English football, making 34 appearances in 2024–25, as Stoke avoided relegation on the final day.[14][15][16] In the 2025–26 season, Bocat had competition for the left-back spot from the experienced Aaron Cresswell and was linked with a return to Belgium.[17][18]
Personal life
[edit]Born in France, Bocat is of Central African and Senegalese descent.[19]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of match played 2 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dijon B | 2017–18[2] | Championnat National 3 | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| Brest B | 2018–19[2] | Championnat National 3 | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| Lille B | 2019–20[2] | Championnat National 2 | 20 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| Lille | 2019–20[2] | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mouscron | 2020–21[2] | Belgian First Division A | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22[2] | Belgian First Division B | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 | |||
| Total | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 1 | ||||
| Sint-Truiden | 2022–23[2] | Belgian Pro League | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[2] | Belgian Pro League | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 2 | |||
| Total | 59 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 63 | 2 | ||||
| Stoke City | 2024–25[2] | Championship | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | |
| 2025–26[2] | Championship | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| Total | 59 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 66 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 206 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 221 | 3 | ||
- ↑ Includes Belgian Cup, Coupe de France and FA Cup
- ↑ Includes Coupe de la Ligue and EFL Cup
References
[edit]- ↑ "EFL- Squad list 2024/25" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Eric Bocat at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ↑ Eric Bocat at WorldFootball.net
- ↑ "Football : Eric Bocat (ex Val d'Europe) signe au LOSC" [Football: Eric Bocat (ex Val d’Europe) signs for LOSC]. Actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ↑ "Fourth-tier Epinal topple Lille". Dawn. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ↑ "ÉRIC BOCAT LEAVES FOR MOUSCRON". Lille OSC (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ↑ "Down and out Mouscron files for bankruptcy". Inside World Football. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ↑ "Après deux saisons passées à Mouscron, Eric Bocat rejoint Saint-Trond" [After two seasons spent in Mouscron, Eric Bocat joins Saint-Trond]. sudinfo.be (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ↑ "Stoke city sign Sint-Truiden's unsung hero from the past two seasons". getfootballnewsbene.com. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- 1 2 "Potters bag Bocat". Stoke City F.C. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- 1 2 "Stoke City sign French defender Eric Bocat on four-year deal". BBC Sport. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ↑ Prévot, Tom (22 June 2024). "Mercato : pisté par des clubs de Ligue 1, Eric Bocat (Saint-Trond) va s'engager à Stoke City". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ↑ Smith, Peter (26 June 2024). "Boss explains Eric Bocat transfer as Stoke City move to resolve left-back situation". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ↑ "Stoke City end of season player ratings from sustained excellence to won't be seen again". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ↑ "Derby County 0–0 Stoke City: Both teams survive after goalless draw". Sky Sports. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ↑ "Derby County 0–0 Stoke City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ↑ "Stoke City bench-warmer 'number one target' for European club". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Stoke City 2025/26 squad review - keep, sell, loan, return or buy". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Le piston français Eric Bocat (Saint-Trond) a la cote • Actufoot • Actu du foot pro/amateur".
- 1999 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Paris
- French men's footballers
- French sportspeople of Central African Republic descent
- French sportspeople of Senegalese descent
- French expatriate men's footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- Dijon FCO players
- Stade Brestois 29 players
- Lille OSC players
- Royal Excel Mouscron players
- Sint-Truidense VV players
- Stoke City F.C. players
- Championnat National 3 players
- Championnat National 2 players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Challenger Pro League players
- French expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
- Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
- French expatriate sportspeople in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- English Football League players
- 21st-century French sportsmen