Hibs legend Rachael Boyle set to return to match-day squad this weekend

Rachael Boyle is set to return to the match-day squad for the first time in over a year this weekend after the birth of her second child.

The experienced midfielder has been absent from the team since January 16, 2022. Married to fellow Hibs winger Martin, the couple welcomed their second child, Sophia, last September. After returning to rehab in October, she is now expected to make a comeback this Sunday as the side take on Glasgow Women at Meadowbank Stadium.

“We’re excited and for us it’s coming at a good time”, manager Dean Gibson told Hibs TV. “Looking at the split happening in a month or two, we want to progress in the Scottish Cup, so if we do that we’ll have one of the best players in the league coming back for hopefully the top six, and hopefully for the quarter-final onwards in the Scottish Cup.

“It’ll be great to have her back, that’ll be over a year out that we’ve not had her. It’ll be like gaining a completely new player. I think pre-pregnancy, she was arguably the best player in the league. If we can get her back to those levels we’ve got a very good player returning.”

Rachael Boyle will be aiming to replicate her successes in the Scottish Cup this season. Credit: Paul Devlin / SNS Group

Boyle arrived at the club from Aberdeen in 2016 and made a big name for herself at the Edinburgh club. The 31-year-old has helped Hibs lift the Scottish Cup in 2016 and 2017 as well as the SWPL Cup in 2017. She has also earned 43 Scotland caps over her career, most recently in November 2021.