The Australian international considers reaching 300 Hibs appearances.
The current Hibs football program has been dubbed “heart attack football” by Martin Boyle, but the veteran of 300 games has seen it all, so he has accepted what manager Nick Montgomery is attempting to accomplish and asked supporters to exercise patience.
The 30-year-old forward, who admits he wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when he signed for the team back in early 2015, feels his patience has definitely paid off.
Originally a loan arrangement, the move from Dens Park was eventually made permanent as the Leith organization realized how much of a value he could be.
And even though the team has had ups and downs and coaches have come and gone since then, Boyle’s reputation has only gotten stronger both domestically and abroad, even in spite of a few injury setbacks.
He made his 300th appearance for the squad on Wednesday night. A fan favorite, teammate, and boss of several Easter Road administrations, he says he is now focused on increasing to that total and the club’s trophy haul until he inevitably concludes his relationship with the Easter Road side.
“Until I was informed on Tuesday, I had no idea. Few individuals, I believe, were aware of this. My father was ecstatic when I told him. So, yes, it’s a pleasant sensation. I doubt I anticipated playing so many games. But I should take credit for my own hard work. I’m hoping to add a lot more appearances to that list.
Despite not being able to catch team-mates Lewis Stevenson and Paul Hanlon, who are currently fourth and fifth on the club’s all-time appearance list with a hefty 593 and 553 respectively, he still acknowledges the mutually beneficial nature of his stints at Hibs. He has already contributed 74 goals and 57 assists throughout his Hibs career and earned over 20 international caps for Australia.
“That isn’t feasible! It’s becoming too late for me. The boys are en route to obtain two testimonials; my goal is to obtain just one! They are unmatched by anyone. Even though it’s not as much as it could have been given my ailments, I’m nevertheless proud of myself for reaching this milestone and am content with my current situation.
“My family is settled, I’ve probably played my best football here, and I even turned my dad from a Hearts fan to a Hibs fan—happy days!” Everything is well.
“For me, it just feels like a feel-good club; it just fits.” Here, all I want to do is the best I can. [After a lucrative six-month tenure at Al Faisaly in the Saudi Professional League], returning was an obvious choice, and I’ve fitted in nicely. All I want to do is keep giving more.
A vital component of the team, he has won player of the year honors, assisted in the club’s promotion and Scottish Cup triumph, and contributed to securing European nights. However, he claims that when he initially enlisted, he had no idea what the future held.
“I’m not sure what I had in mind. When I asked James McPake and Kevin Thomson about Hibs and what it was like, they said it was obvious. I arrived here, and I haven’t turned around.
“After I sustained that injury and lost my contract, the club trusted me enough to offer me a deal, and I haven’t stopped since.
“I feel like I have improved every season, which is fantastic. I have had a lot of managers and stuff.”
After making a breakthrough on the international scene and siding with Australia, he has been hindered by injuries and has had to miss both the World Cup and the Asian Cup. He is, however, crossing his fingers that when Graham Arnold’s team returns to Qatar for the newest continental competition in January, he will be on the field rather than acting as vibes manager.
“I sacked that role as soon as I started playing again. Playing is what matters most, and that’s what I want to be doing. I’m hoping that this will be my third fortunate event. Although it has been a bit of a nightmare lately, I am excited about it. With any luck, I can continue to perform well here and join the squad.
“Likewise, I’m happy that I’ve reached 23 caps; not many years ago, I didn’t think I would be able to do that.”
Even though some players are taking some time to get used to the changes in the football style under Montgomery, there is some hope that the best is yet ahead for him and the team because he has experienced both good and terrible moments since making his debut in green and white.
“We are adopting the manager’s ideas. He has been wonderful for me over his 11–12 week stay here. The atmosphere here is buzzing, as you can see. All we need is a little more endurance.
“What we’re attempting to accomplish on the field is visible. Football can be entertaining to watch at times or it can be heart attack football! But stay with us, and I have no doubt that this will be a truly powerful style of play as he shares more of his thoughts.
Furthermore, Boyle illustrates that education is a continuous effort, even when serving abroad.
“When we’re gone, the other boys get beat up. To keep us updated, they also email us material and movies, and we can do Zoom calls. Every day they record training on video so we can see it again. Thus, all the data is present, and upon our return, we will be well-informed. It’s not like going into the unknown unprepared.
“I think this manager has the best attention to detail I have ever seen.” We will consider it and try to move up to the third position.
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