'Hibs is a big club' - Scottish Premiership midfielder makes Martin Boyle claim as pundits discuss 'higher level' question

Former Hibs midfielder Marvin Bartley believes former team-mate Martin Boyle is capable of playing at a higher level – but doesn’t reckon the livewire winger has any interest in leaving the Capital club.

Martin Boyle scored Hibs' third in Dumfries

The in-form attacker scored the third goal as Hibs recorded a 3-1 win against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park last night to book the Easter Road side a fourth-round trip to face Stranraer at Stair Park.

Speaking on the BBC Scotland coverage of the third-round tie, presenter Steven Thompson asked fellow pundits Richard Foster and Marvin Bartley if they thought it was strange that the Australian internationalist had not been subjected to the same transfer speculation as some of his club colleagues who had attracted interest during the January transfer window.

Foster said: “I’m surprised when there's been interest in Nisbet and Porteous, because he is so effective at what he does.

"I know he’s quite small, quite slight in terms of going down to England – and pace up here is not the same as down south – and maybe his physicality is holding some English clubs back from taking a chance on him.

"When you look at someone like Celtic, they lost James Forrest – could they have replaced him with Boyle? Very similar players, and he’s certainly got the quality to play in a Celtic team.”

Asked if he agreed that Boyle had the quality to play at a higher level, Bartley – who played alongside the former Dundee winger for several seasons – replied: “I think he’s happy at Hibs. For footballers, sometimes it's just about being happy.

"Some players make moves that they think is going to benefit them – we saw Jason Cummings move from Hibs to Nottingham Forest and it didn’t quite work out and now he’s back up the road trying to start again.

“Sometimes there's something to say for just being comfortable in what you’re doing. He’s happy in his surroundings – Hibs are a big club by the way – so Martin Boyle is happy being here.

"Could he play at a higher level? Probably, but it looks like he’s going to Europe with Hibs so there's no need for him to leave at this moment in time.”

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