Hibs ace reveals secret to battling through 'blip' as striker chases Euro glory AND World Cup redemption

It may have taken, to quote the man himself, a kick up the backside to get Martin Boyle heading in the right direction last season. After doing his best impression of an unstoppable force as the stand-in skipper of a Hibs side who broke records and shattered expectations at the business end of the campaign, however, it’s fair to say that the Socceroos star heads into 2025-26 carrying a bit of momentum.

Still sounding excited as he talks about his role in helping the Aussies secure World Cup qualification during a hectic summer of international commitments, the livewire forward admits that he suffered as much as anyone in green-and-white as Hibs went through some desperate doldrums dragging on into late 2024. Hampered by a couple of injuries, he found himself frozen out of the starting XI around November and December, restricted to making fleeting appearances from the bench.

And, when it came to this lack of game time, he was given a pretty clear message from first-year head coach David Gray.

Veteran forward was ‘stronger’ after setback

“Yes, it was a great season for me personally,” said Boyle, speaking from the Hibs training camp in the Netherlands, the 32-year-old barely pausing as he added: “Obviously, the blip that I had. But, you know, thankfully I came back fighting stronger.

“Got that kick up the backside that I maybe needed. And yes, I've got the passion. I always have the passion and hopefully I can do the same next season.”

Invited to expand on the metaphorical boot in the posterior administered by former team-mate Gray, Boyle – now sitting on 99 goals for Hibs - explained: “I think just coming back from the injury, I wasn't up to the standard in the manager's eyes. And he was honest with me.

“Maybe I was moping about the place. Maybe I wasn't my usual self, which he spotted early doors.

“He brought me in. Told me to keep going, work hard. I'm still a big part of the team, etc. And all that.

Extra responsibility generated improved performances

“And yes, since then I’ve been given the responsibilities that he's given me, he's probably got 20 per cent more out of me. A new position as well, which gave me a lease of life. I can roam about, I can run wide, I can stay wide. Up front, scoring goals.

“So hopefully, I can take that in the next season and have a real good, sharp pre-season and build into it. Yes, if I could put the same numbers in next season, it would be brilliant.

“Obviously, I don't normally set goals, but I've set one goal this season. It's all I want, to get to 100, so that would be perfect.

“But obviously, we want to achieve the same as we did last year. We've got a big European qualifying campaign in a few weeks. So, you know, hopefully we can get a good go at that.”

Boyle’s summer has been dominated, obviously, by his role as a vital member of Tony Popovic’s Australia squad. After all of the bad fortune that befell the Aberdeen-born attacker in the run-up to the last World Cup, where a serious injury restricted him to the role of unofficial ‘vibes manager’, everyone Down Under – and plenty of well-wishers back in Scotland – will be keeping everything crossed in the hope of seeing him pull on the green-and-gold in Canada, Mexico and the USA next summer.

Boyle, who agreed to a one-year contract extension just before the end of the season, said: “It’s been pretty full on, it's been hectic. I feel like I haven't stopped, to be honest, but it's been really enjoyable.

“We had a tough 10 days in the UAE, the training camp before. Really enjoyable, but really, really tough.

“Everyone trying to put down a marker and make a statement to be in that squad to qualify for the World Cup. We obviously had a massive two games that we had and obviously a massive result against Japan, which was positive.

“And then, obviously, going away to Saudi, which is really difficult. Winning there, I would say there is probably no better feeling.

“And obviously qualifying, the celebrations were short and sharp. But I'm sure the next time we meet up, we can maybe enjoy it.

“For me, it was probably slightly better than the last time. I think it's been harder for me this time.

“I know I played a lot of the campaign last time and then missed out through the injury, but it's obviously bittersweet to be a part of this campaign and qualify. I know it's going to be a hard year. I've been in and out and I'm going to keep working hard.

“And it's probably the main reason why I've stayed at Hibs, so I can really get to that World Cup and feel like I can make my dream come true. But it's a long way and there's a lot of games to be played in between.”

Boyle has earned ‘faith’ of successive Socceroos managers

Famously overlooked by Scotland and gleefully picked up by Australia, Boyle can admit now – after 30-something caps – that he wasn’t sure what to expect when he first accepted an international call-up for the country where his dad was born, saying: “Even the first training session since I've stepped in, I thought I'd probably be the odd one out. I still get have to slow my accent down!

“But there's a lot of Scottish boys there, a lot of Scottish based boys there. So it's quite easy.

“And obviously the manager put faith in me last time. You know, Graham Arnold, and obviously Tony Popovic now.

“You know, there's a more talent pool too. You use a lot wider base of players.

“And so it's quite tricky and you have to be on your game. You have to be performing to be selected.

“I felt like I had a good campaign last year and merited the selection. And thankfully, we got over the line.”

Easter Road ideal platform for aspiring internationals

Boyle believes the sheer number of Hibs players called up for national service by a variety of countries over recent years underlines Easter Road’s value as a destination for wannabe internationals, saying: “It's been a great stepping stone for boys over the seasons. You come here, you perform, you're going to get a move on. Or you stay here like me, and you'll get the plaudits.

“And it's just a really enjoyable club. It's the best atmosphere. It's unbelievable. You can see the passion from the fans, passion from the players.

“Like you say, the boys we're bringing in, they're going on to get international call-ups. You see big Rocky Bushiri now, who's made his debut for Congo. Kieron Bowie for Scotland.

GET THE LATEST HIBS NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER SERVICE

“Obviously, they won't have it easy. There's still a lot of hard work for them to do.

“But, you know, they keep performing here. Then they've made it into national recognition, which is great for us, great for players and great for the club.”

Your next Hibs read: Why Rocky rejected ‘tempting’ offers elsewhere to extend Easter Road stay