{{short description|French footballer (born 1999)}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Eric Bocat |full_name = Eric-Junior Doriane Magate Kom Baga Bocat<ref>{{cite web |title=EFL- Squad list 2024/25 |url=https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/gc-media-assets.gc.eflservices.co.uk/9edd2ed0-6c4a-11ef-9965-335248f7bb41.pdf |website=English Football League |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref>{{refn|name="soccerway"|{{Soccerway|eric-junior-bocat/515918|accessdate=11 July 2022}}}} |image = Stoke City Players warming up 20092025 (12) (cropped).jpg |caption = Bocat in 2025 |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|07|16|df=y}}<ref name="soccerway"/> |birth_place = Paris, France<ref name="soccerway"/> |height = 1.82 m<ref name="soccerway"/> |position = Left-back{{refn|{{WorldFootball.net|eric-bocat|new_id=pe655310}}}} |currentclub = Stoke City |clubnumber = 17 |youthyears1 = 2009–2014 |youthclubs1 = Val d'Europe |youthyears2 = 2015–2017 |youthclubs2 = US Torcy |youthyears3 = 2017–2018 |youthclubs3 = Dijon |youthyears4 = 2018–2019 |youthclubs4 = Brest |youthyears5 = 2019–2020 |youthclubs5 = Lille |years1 = 2017–2018 |clubs1 = Dijon B |caps1 = 11 |goals1 = 0 |years2 = 2018–2019 |clubs2 = Brest B |caps2 = 24 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = 2019–2020 |clubs3 = Lille B |caps3 = 20 |goals3 = 0 |years4 = 2020 |clubs4 = Lille |caps4 = 0 |goals4 = 0 |years5 = 2020–2022 |clubs5 = Mouscron |caps5 = 33 |goals5 = 1 |years6 = 2022–2024 |clubs6 = Sint-Truiden |caps6 = 59 |goals6 = 2 |years7 = 2024– |clubs7 = Stoke City |caps7 = 59 |goals7 = 0 |club-update = 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 {{English football updater|StokeCty}} club Stoke City.
==Career== ===Early career=== 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Football : Eric Bocat (ex Val d'Europe) signe au LOSC |trans-title=Football: Eric Bocat (ex Val d’Europe) signs for LOSC |url=https://actu.fr/hauts-de-france/lille_59350/football-eric-bocat-ex-val-deurope-signe-losc_26699853.html |website=Actu.fr |access-date=26 June 2024 |language=French}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fourth-tier Epinal topple Lille |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1531622 |website=Dawn |access-date=26 June 2024}}</ref>
===Mouscron=== Bocat left Lille on 1 August 2020 and signed for Belgian top flight club Mouscron.<ref>{{cite web |title=ÉRIC BOCAT LEAVES FOR MOUSCRON|url=https://www.losc.fr/actualites-foot-lille/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%C3%A9ric-bocat-part-%C3%A0-mouscron |website=Lille OSC |access-date=27 June 2024 |language=French}}</ref> He only made nine appearances in 2020–21 as Mouscron suffered relegation to the First Division B amid severe financial problems.<ref name="soccerway"/> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Down and out Mouscron files for bankruptcy |url=https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2022/06/01/mouscron-files-bankruptcy/ |website=Inside World Football |access-date=27 June 2024}}</ref>
===Sint-Truiden=== After two seasons at Mouscron, Bocat signed for Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truiden in July 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Après deux saisons passées à Mouscron, Eric Bocat rejoint Saint-Trond |trans-title=After two seasons spent in Mouscron, Eric Bocat joins Saint-Trond |url=https://www.sudinfo.be/art/966531/article/2022-07-01/apres-deux-saisons-passees-mouscron-eric-bocat-rejoint-saint-trond |website=sudinfo.be |access-date=27 June 2024 |language=French}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stoke city sign Sint-Truiden's unsung hero from the past two seasons |url=https://getfootballnewsbene.com/stoke-city-sign-sint-truidens-unsung-hero-from-the-past-two-seasons/ |website=getfootballnewsbene.com|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
===Stoke City=== On 26 June 2024, Bocat joined English Championship side Stoke City for an undisclosed fee,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> reported to be around €1.5 million, plus €500,000 in add-ons,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prévot |first=Tom |date=22 June 2024 |title=Mercato : pisté par des clubs de Ligue 1, Eric Bocat (Saint-Trond) va s'engager à Stoke City |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Mercato-piste-par-des-clubs-de-ligue-1-eric-bocat-saint-trond-va-s-engager-a-stoke-city/1476696 |access-date=27 June 2024 |website=L'Équipe |language=fr-FR}}</ref> signing a four-year deal.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.stokecityfc.com/news/2024/june/26/potters-bag-bocat/|title=Potters bag Bocat|publisher=Stoke City F.C.|date=26 June 2024|accessdate=26 June 2024}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=26 June 2024 |title=Stoke City sign French defender Eric Bocat on four-year deal |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cpee3059pgxo |access-date=27 June 2024 |website=BBC Sport}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-transfer-eric-bocat-9369100?int_source=nba|title=Boss explains Eric Bocat transfer as Stoke City move to resolve left-back situation|publisher=Stoke Sentinel|last=Smith|first=Peter|date=26 June 2024|accessdate=26 June 2024}}</ref> Bocat had a stop-start first season in English football, making 34 appearances in 2024–25, as Stoke avoided relegation on the final day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stoke City end of season player ratings from sustained excellence to won't be seen again |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-season-player-ratings-10172075 |website=Stoke Sentinel |access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Derby County 0–0 Stoke City: Both teams survive after goalless draw |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/derby-county-vs-stoke-city/509886 |website=Sky Sports |access-date=8 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Derby County 0–0 Stoke City |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cddelqp53ygt |website=BBC Sport |access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stoke City bench-warmer ‘number one target' for European club |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/stoke-city-transfers-eric-bocat-10680041 |website=Stoke Sentinel |access-date=21 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Stoke City 2025/26 squad review - keep, sell, loan, return or buy |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-transfer-keep-sell-10937317 |website=Stoke Sentinel |access-date=21 May 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== Born in France, Bocat is of Central African and Senegalese descent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.actufoot.com/le-piston-francais-eric-bocat-saint-trond-a-la-cote|title=Le piston français Eric Bocat (Saint-Trond) a la cote • Actufoot • Actu du foot pro/amateur}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|match played 2 May 2026}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |National cup{{efn|Includes Belgian Cup, Coupe de France and FA Cup}} ! colspan="2" |League cup{{efn|Includes Coupe de la Ligue and EFL Cup}} ! colspan="2" |Other ! colspan="2" |Total |- !Division||Apps||Goals||Apps||Goals||Apps||Goals||Apps||Goals||Apps||Goals |- |Dijon B |2017–18<ref name="soccerway"/> |Championnat National 3 |11||0||colspan="2" |—||colspan="2" |—||colspan="2" |—||11||0 |- |Brest B |2018–19<ref name="soccerway"/> |Championnat National 3 |24||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||24||0 |- |Lille B |2019–20<ref name="soccerway"/> |Championnat National 2 |20||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||20||0 |- |Lille |2019–20<ref name="soccerway"/> |Ligue 1 ||0||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- | rowspan="3" |Mouscron |2020–21<ref name="soccerway"/> |Belgian First Division A |8||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||9||0 |- |2021–22<ref name="soccerway"/> |Belgian First Division B ||25||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||27||1 |- !colspan="2" |Total !33!!1!!3!!0!!colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||36!!1 |- |rowspan="3"|Sint-Truiden |2022–23<ref name="soccerway"/> |Belgian Pro League |22||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||25||0 |- |2023–24<ref name="soccerway"/> |Belgian Pro League |37||2||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||38||2 |- !colspan="2"|Total !59!!2!!4!!0!!colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||63!!2 |- |rowspan=3|Stoke City |2024–25<ref name="soccerway"/> |Championship |30||0||0||0||4||0||colspan="2"|—||34||0 |- |2025–26<ref name="soccerway"/> |Championship |29||0||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||32||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !59!!0!!1!!0!!6!!0!!colspan="2"|—||66!!0 |- !colspan="3" |Career total !206!!3!!9!!0!!6!!0!!0!!0!!221!!3 |} {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Stoke City F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bocat, Eric}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Paris Category:French men's footballers Category:French sportspeople of Central African Republic descent Category:French sportspeople of Senegalese descent Category:French expatriate men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Dijon FCO players Category:Stade Brestois 29 players Category:Lille OSC players Category:Royal Excel Mouscron players Category:Sint-Truidense VV players Category:Stoke City F.C. players Category:Championnat National 3 players Category:Championnat National 2 players Category:Belgian Pro League players Category:Challenger Pro League players Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:French expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:English Football League players Category:21st-century French sportsmen