Revealed: How Hibs ace Boyle's final curtain call will be handled as gaffer Gray makes 'recognition' vow
Victory in final game guarantees European football for David Gray’s men
Hibs have no special ceremony planned to mark Martin Boyle’s Easter Road farewell tomorrow – because the Socceroos star wants to stay fully focused on helping his team secure back-to-back European qualification for the first time in 50 years. But gaffer David Gray is sure that the departing stalwart will receiving a rousing reception as fans get fired up for a winner-takes-all Euro eliminator with Motherwell.
“To be fair, because of what's on the game, there's not really been a conversation about that,” said Gray, when asked about the possibility of a presentation to Boyle, who is moving 11 years after arriving on a half-season loan from Dundee. “I don't think, certainly, Boyler wouldn't want it that way either. It's not about that, it's about making sure we do everything we can to win the game.
“Within that, we are human beings and rightly so there should be recognition of what he's done for the club and that will be there coming on to the pitch. I'm sure the atmosphere because of that, everybody within that will be willing to finish on a high - and there's no better way to do that than to secure European football.
“Obviously, I'm sure his family will all be at the game and the same as the majority of players, they'll all bring their families to the last game.
“I think I'd expect Rachel and the girls to be at the game and probably mascots for the game as well, which will be always a proud moment. That's just something I enjoyed myself the last game of the season when you have your family around because they live and breathe it with you as well.
“You don't always get the right results, you don't always play well, but when you go home to your kids, they're not really interested in how you played either. They definitely go through it with you, the missus as well.
“For him and his family, I'm sure the rest of his family have been so well supportive of him. They go home and away all the time, huge family backing. They’ll all be there, I'm sure, and deservedly so for what he's given.
“When you look at his performances of late, that mentality he's got, his level of performance of late, for someone there's been a lot of speculation around his future. The uncertainty within that.
Striker scores big goals in big games
“Boyler is really thriving on the fact that he knows he wants to end the season as high as he possibly can. He's always delivered for the club and he's going to see it right through at the very end, which I don't expect anything else.
“He scores big goals at big times. He's looking forward to tomorrow and then what will happen after will happen with Boyle.
“Whatever happens for him, I wish him all the very best because he deserves it for what he's given to the club. He'll be getting ready to go to the World Cup hopefully and he'll then quickly move on to trying to be the best he can there.
“He's someone that, for all the laughing and the joking and the character that he is every single day, what people probably don't see often enough until you actually know him and work with him is how top of a professional he is and how he's maximised his career. Because he does the right things at the right times.
“Yes, he likes a laugh and a joke and I need him to be that person as well because that's how he is, consistent every day around the training ground. But it's certainly not been through anything other than sheer professionalism and real hard work to get him to where he is. He deserves all the praise for that because of what he's done for the football club.”