Early career Bolasie began his career with
Rushden & Diamonds at age 16. He spent four months as a member of their youth team and then had a spell with
Hillingdon Borough in the
Southern Football League before moving across Europe to play for
Floriana in the
Maltese Premier League. He returned to England in 2008 after being offered a trial with
Plymouth Argyle and impressed enough to be offered a two-year contract. He joined
Dagenham & Redbridge on trial with a view to a loan move before returning to Rushden & Diamonds on loan near the end of the year. He made his debut against
Eastbourne Borough on 29 November, and made seven appearances in the
Conference before returning to Argyle in January 2009. Bolasie then joined
Barnet on loan, making his
Football League debut against
Accrington Stanley on 24 January 2009. He scored his first goal two weeks later, opening the scoring in a 3–3 draw against
Grimsby Town. Bolasie returned to Argyle at the end of the
2008–09 season having made 20 league appearances for Barnet, scoring three goals. The club's manager,
Ian Hendon, was keen to bring Bolasie back, but dismissed the chances of signing him permanently. Hendon said, "Yannick is still under contract at Plymouth, so it is likely that he will return there at the end of the season." He rejoined the Barnet squad in July 2009 ahead of the new season on a six-month loan, and hoped it would act as a springboard to winning a place in the Argyle
first team. Bolasie scored against Grimsby again in October 2009, capping a fine display with a fierce shot from 30 yards Bolasie scored his second goal of the season three weeks later against
Darlington, as Hendon's side maintained a place in the top half of the
League Two table.
Plymouth Argyle in 2010 Bolasie returned to Plymouth Argyle in January 2010, having made a further 22 league appearances for Barnet, scoring twice. He was given a chance to impress by
Paul Mariner, who had succeeded Sturrock a month earlier, and included him in the squad to take on
Barnsley on 13 February 2010. He made his debut for the club in that game, coming off the substitute bench to provide the momentum to turn a one nil deficit into a 3–1 win for the visitors. He scored his first goal for the club two weeks later at
Sheffield United. The pacy winger, ended the season with 16
Championship appearances to his name, but could not prevent the club from being relegated to
League One. Bolasie was offered a new contract by the club in April 2010, and Bolasie signed it in July after the arrival of
Peter Reid as the club's new manager.
Bristol City Bolasie was transferred to
Bristol City on 6 June 2011 for an undisclosed fee and signed a two-year contract. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win against
Coventry City on 9 April 2012. Prior to the match against Barnsley later that month, Bolasie was named Young Player of the Year by the Supporters Club and Trust after a fans vote. He submitted a written transfer request in August 2012 because he wanted to move back to London.
Crystal Palace In August 2012, Bolasie signed a three-year contract with
Crystal Palace for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut in a 2–1 defeat at
Middlesbrough, and scored his first goal for Palace in a 5–0 home win against
Ipswich Town. He was an unused substitute for Palace in the
2013 Football League Championship play-off final as the
Eagles defeated
Watford 1–0 to gain promotion to the
Premier League for the
2013–14 season. Bolasie made his Premier League debut as a substitute against
Liverpool at
Anfield on 5 October 2013. He was
sent-off in the 78th minute of a 1–0 win at
Hull City on 23 November 2013, and scored his first Premier League goal in a 3–2 win over
Everton at
Goodison Park on 21 September 2014. On 11 April 2015, Bolasie scored an 11-minute
hat-trick against
Sunderland in a 4–1 win at the
Stadium of Light, becoming the first Crystal Palace player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League. He signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal for Crystal Palace early in the 2015–16 season.
Everton On 15 August 2016, Bolasie joined
Everton for a reported £25 million transfer fee. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–1 win away against
West Bromwich Albion five days later, and three days after that made his first start for Everton, in a 4–0
EFL Cup win at home to
Yeovil Town. Bolasie sustained an injury to his right
anterior cruciate ligament in a 1–1 draw with
Manchester United on 4 December 2016, and was out injured until 26 December 2017. On 2 October 2020, manager
Carlo Ancelotti said that although Bolasie was training well, he was not in his plans and was free to leave the club. He left the club in June 2021.
Loans Bolasie signed for
Aston Villa on a season-long loan in August 2018, but returned, early, the following January, before being loaned to Belgian side
Anderlecht for the remainder of the 2018–19 season. In September 2019 he joined Portuguese club
Sporting CP on loan for the 2019–20 season. On 28 January 2021, Bolasie moved to
EFL Championship club
Middlesbrough, on a loan deal until the end of the season. He scored his first goal for Middlesbrough on 5 April 2021 in a 1–1 draw with
Watford. In his 53 games for the club, Bolasie scored 19 goals, with him finishing third in the top scorer race in the
2022–23 TFF First League, which helped Rizespor back into the Süper Lig immediately after their relegation.
Swansea City On 27 November 2023, Bolasie signed a short-term contract with EFL Championship club
Swansea City. Though head coach
Luke Williams appeared keen to retain Bolasie, they were unable to agree on a contract extension. He departed the club on 29 January 2024, having not scored any goals for the club.
Brazil In March 2024, Bolasie joined Brazilian club
Criciúma. Through July, he scored two goals and provided two assists in thirteen matches. On 27 December 2024, after a successful stint at Criciúma, it was announced that Bolasie would play for
Cruzeiro in the 2025 season. On 11 January 2026, he signed a one-year contract with recently-promoted
Série A side
Chapecoense. ==International career==