'Some people don't take me seriously - but when I cross that white line, I flick a switch,' Hibs ace Boyle
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Unofficial vibes manager and undisputed joker in virtually any pack, Martin Boyle knows his wise-cracking approach to football wouldn’t fit everyone’s identikit of the ideal captain. This is a guy, after all, who openly pokes fun at some self-styled Rangers ‘ultra’ turning up at his front door with a vague intent to intimidate.
Anyone who watched the livewire attacker bag a double against the Ibrox side at Easter Road yesterday would have known, of course, that the Socceroos star was bound to make light of even that potentially worrying scenario. Anyone who has followed Boyle’s career to date, meanwhile, would recognise his ability to “flick a switch” – his own words – as soon as the serious business begins.
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Hide AdHanded the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Joe Newell, the 31-year-old is revelling in a return to the starting XI. He’s still capable of learning from older and wiser heads, too, crediting Dwight Gayle for training-ground instruction leading to his first goal yesterday.
And Boyle understands completely why gaffer David Gray should admit that he once would have scoffed at the very idea of his old team-mate serving as skipper, admitting: “Probably a lot of people will find that hard to believe – but I do my talking on the pitch.”
Asked if his approach had changed since being handed the extra responsibility, Boyle insisted: “No, I’m just the same guy. That's what I'm saying.
“A lot of people don't take me seriously around the place, but look, I've never changed who I am. But when I cross that white line, I can flick a switch.
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Hide Ad“I'm working hard in training, as I do every season. Hopefully, I can lead by example that way.
“And there's loads of leaders in there. We've got Gayle, Junior Hoilett … there's loads of experienced boys in there. It's not just me getting thrown in. I just take it with a pinch of salt.
“It is an honour to also be captain of the club, but rightfully, Joe's the captain. If I can help in any way, then perfect.”
Boyle has blossomed since returning from injuries to both his wrist and hip, admitting: “Speaking now, it wasn't ideal at the start of the season, stop-start. I had a big cast on, got a bone graft in my hip. It was playing up. But now, I'm really finding my feet, changing position, a lot more freedom.
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Hide Ad“I feel I can get around the pitch more, pressing intensity. Like you say, I've been working really hard.
“I just didn't enjoy sitting on the bench either, so it really hits home. When you get that opportunity in your shirt, you have to keep it.”
Revelling in the partnership with Premier League veteran Dwight Gayle that lasted the entire 90 minutes against Rangers, Boyle said he was enjoying having the former Newcastle striker around the place revealing: “You learn a lot from him. His finishing in training, finishing over the last few games that we've had.
“Thankfully, I managed to get myself in a position where I could get one of his goals - a snapshot - away. I'm learning a lot from him. He leads by example as well. He's made a massive impact around the place.”
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Hide AdBoyle, who revealed that he’d decided where he was putting his penalty even before the game kicked off, rendering all attempts to put him off pointless, took both of his goals brilliantly. He’s also claiming an assist, of sorts, on Rocky Bushiri’s late equaliser – repayment in kind for the defender setting up his opener.
“I don't ever know what to expect from Rocky when he's in the box,” he said, with a grin. “But I told him at half-time, I keep telling him every week, just get in that position where he can score goals.
“The size of him, the speed that he can generate and just attack the ball. He was laughing after the game, thankfully he's listened to me. Obviously, he's got a big frame on him, so it was obviously for my goal it was a nice shielding off and I'm thankful I was there to tap it in.”
As one of the players who served in the trenches alongside rookie head coach Gray, Boyle is obviously relieved to his old team-mate breathing a little easier these days. After a brutal start to the season, the gaffer was under pressure – and possibly even close to being out of a job more than once.
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Hide Ad“Yeah, absolutely delighted for him,” said Boyle. “Delighted for him and the coaching staff.
“It's brilliant. He deserves it. He works tirelessly every day. The attention to detail is spot on.
“It didn't quite go the way we wanted it to go, but as players we have to take responsibility at the start of the season. It wasn't good enough. But now I think everyone would run for a brick wall for him.
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Hide Ad“Maybe at the start of the season we were not quite there all as a group, but now it's starting to come together, which is good. We know there's a lot more improvements that we can make. We'll keep working hard. We'll keep sticking together and listen to what the manager wants to do. If he's got any new ideas, obviously, we'll use it.
“At the start of the season, we were kind of disconnected from the fans. Rightly so, because we weren't performing to the best of our ability, which is understandable.
“They pay a lot of money to come watch us and the performances weren't good enough. Now we're starting to turn it around. The atmosphere against Rangers was brilliant.
“When we're here winning games, there's no better place, there's no better atmosphere than here, believe me. I think that's kind of what we tried to install into the new players that came in. When this place is jumping, it's unbelievable.”