Exclusive:Hibs scoring ace Martin Boyle talks motivation, fight for place, Euro goals record and recurring Cup dream
Socceroos veteran about to kick off EIGHTEENTH season in senior football
There are still new worlds to conquer, still bigger targets to topple in pursuit of Easter Road immortality. As he prepares to begin his 18th season of senior football, a remarkable achievement in itself, the famously frenetic Martin Boyle is in no mood for slowing down.
Yet the veteran forward is also finding time to appreciate just how far he’s come, professionally if not geographically, since those early days a part-timer at Montrose. As sporting odysseys go, this one has been a blockbuster.
Eager to further cement his status as the all-time leading European scorer in Hibs history, with Thursday’s UEFA Conference League clash against Malisheva in Pristina hopefully providing the 33-year-old with a chance or two, Boyle - the last man standing from his team’s 2016 Scottish Cup win - is also acutely aware that he faces a fight just to get game time in a revamped front line. With the disappointment of late World Cup heartache behind him, though, the livewire Socceroos attacker is confident that he’ll rise to the challenge after signing a one-year contract extension at the very end of last season.
From part-time football to Easter Road fan favourite
Boyle, striking a reflective note in a broad-ranging conversation, told The Evening News: “I think the way my career has panned out, it's important to look back on the things that I have achieved. I was a young boy at Montrose and I had a job.
“To achieve what I have achieved, a lot of people keep telling me that it's crazy. Looking back on the achievements that I've done, it's pretty spectacular.
“Obviously, I didn't quite get that one last dream that I wanted to (playing at the World Cup), but I think looking back on all the goals and appearances and breaking the record for European goals for Hibs is unbelievable. I think I really need to look back and take pride in what I have achieved.
“Obviously, the story is not done yet. I still have more I want to achieve. I want to break into the top 10 top goal scorers for the club. I've always said that.
“I want to get more appearances for the club. I want to score more goals.
“Ultimately, I want to qualify for Europe, for the league stages. Hopefully, along the journey, I can win another cup for the club.”
Already top of the all-time European scoring charts for Hibs, Boyle knows that qualifying again this season – the first time it’s been done in back-to-back campaigns for half a century – gives him an opportunity stretch that lead, saying: “Yeah, I could. That was unthinkable at the start as well. There's a lot of things that I am aiming to do.
“There's a lot of hard work and I'm still learning as well. But hopefully, the younger boys coming in, they can push me because I know they're coming for starting spots as well.
“There's a lot of international recognition within the squad, which is brilliant to see. Obviously, when I first joined, there wasn't a lot of that.
“There was a lot of under-21s, but I think now we have a couple who are building towards the future. A lot of the boys that have came in and done well, they've gained that international recognition, which is great for the club. Unbelievable.
“Hopefully, in this part of my career, I think that leadership role last year and the year before was really special. Hopefully, I can continue to do that and help the younger boys break through. I want to see them flourish in their careers here.”
‘Best left foot I’ve seen’ - high praise for Owen Elding
Owen Elding has obviously caught the eye in his half season at Easter Road, Boyle’s assessment of his strike partner boiling down to a simple: “Very, very technically gifted player. Unbelievable left foot.
“Maybe the best left foot I've seen at that age, certainly. His technique and the way he does it. He's got the international recognition as well. I think gaining that experience and confidence as well is really up to him. If we can get him firing at the start of the season, then he's got a very, very good career ahead of him.
“Obviously, we want to keep him as long as we can. It might be hard, but if he's come in and he's done the business, he's certainly one that will earn the club a lot of money and deserve a move like Kieron Bowie did. Hopefully, he can come out of the traps early this year and help us.
“I think the most important thing is keeping his feet on the ground. He's a very level-headed guy.”
Boyle’s own place at the attacking corps available to Gray is a fluid matter, the experienced campaigner insisting: “It'll probably be similar to last year. If the club is doing the business, then I'll be playing.
“If not, if he feels like there's a squad rotation to be done, then he'll do it. He's not scared to make changes. We had a strong attack last year and we've got a very good attack this year. If he feels certain elements that he wants to change, then it benefits the team.
“Obviously, I want to be training with intensity and I want to be playing. If I'm scoring goals, then I'm not scared to knock at the door to say that I want to keep my position. I think that's down to me.
“I feel like I was good last year. If I had to sit out, I had to sit out. When I came in, hopefully I helped the team and scored goals and assists.
“I want to maintain that at the start of the season and get off to a strong run, like we did in Europe last year. I think that consistency in the league is very important for us. I feel like we're in a really good position.”