Hibs livewire vows 'penny will drop' in new leadership role

Boyle is looking for happier times next season.

Fan favourite says team need ‘nasty streak’ to turn fortunes around

Hibs favourite Martin Boyle insists he’s ready to step into the leadership vacuum left by the departure of Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson. And the Socceroos star, whose international commitments mean he’ll barely get a week away from football this summer, says he can hardly wait to do a full pre-season under new management.

Boyle, who says players feel responsible for the dismissals of not one but two managers over the course of an awful season, is looking to grab some consolation from tomorrow’s final match of the campaign, away to already-relegated Livingston. But the 31-year-old, who scored two in the midweek 3-0 home win over Motherwell, is already looking beyond a year to forget.

Addressing the loss of both club captain Hanlon and most-decorated player Stevenson from the dressing room, Boyle said: “I’m disappointed to see them go - but this is probably where the penny will drop for me in my career. I have to step up and finally get into that leadership and really drive standards every day.

“Those two were great role models and professionals around the place and they’re moving on. I think it’s time for myself and Joe (Newell) to step up and show that example to the rest of the group.

“That could help me. It’s always there at the back of my mind, I can do it, I can be that guy. The other two being here takes a bit of the pressure off me, but now it’s time to really step up. We’re the longest serving people at the club now and we need to drive home what it means to play for a big club like this. We have to instil that into next season.

“Paul and Stevo’s legacy will be here, but we’ll have to have that sit down and get everyone on board and really drive those standards and expectations and stress what it means to play for a club like this. I keep hearing when this place is bouncing there is no better place to play football.”

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There are many different styles of leadership, of course. And Boyle isn’t going to completely change character overnight, the livewire admitting: “I have that joking and silliness about me, I have always had that, that’s the kind of character I am. But when I cross the line it’s serious and I know exactly what it means to play for this club.

“I am always trying to help people. I’m maybe not as demanding as others. But I am more than ready to step up and take that leadership role. I am getting older and wiser and hopefully I can continue to do that.”

Admitting that his first focus will be on his own performance, the winger said: “It hasn’t been good enough from me, driving the standards every day. The belief I have in myself has not been good.

“I’ll be glad to see the back of this season personally. I didn’t have much of a pre-season, I’d like to get a real good one this time. I didn’t get any games under my belt coming into the season and didn’t feel up to speed.

“I have been slogging along which has not been good for myself. There have been a few games where I have showed moments. But between concussion, the Asian Cup in between, a few niggles with my knee it has been stop-start. No excuses, I know I need to perform every week. Hopefully I can go again pre-season and have a good season next year.”

Hibs kicked off the season under the management of Lee Johnson, worked for eight months with Nick Montgomery as gaffer – and now sign off with David Gray back for a fourth stint as caretaker. It has not, it must be said, been a particularly cohesive campaign.

Asked what he would be looking for in a new manager, as a senior player, Boyle said: “I have worked under a fair few here and I haven’t got a bad thing to say about all of the managers I have had here. In fact, I probably have a lot of apologising to do because it didn’t work out and they ended up not staying as long as they would have wanted to.

“They’ve all been positive. Man management these days is a big thing and driving those standards and being nasty when you need to be.

“And there have been items this season when we needed that nasty streak in us, and we just didn’t have it. Hopefully the next manager who comes in will have a long term run with the club.

“We desperately need stability and to get the trust back with the fans. We’ve lost that over the last few months. The fans pay a lot of money to support us and we’re not giving them the results.

“It ruins their weekend, and it ruins ours as well, we know it has not been good enough. We need to get back to the performances we know we’re capable of.

“Dave is great, he totally gets everything about that club. He’s very passionate in the way he speaks and great around the place.

“He’s stepped up since he has taken that coaching role. He had those leadership roles when he was player and captain here.

“He drives standards every day. He’s a little quieter when he has not been in that manager role.

“But when he has stepped up into that interim job, he’s done great. His record is good, and everyone backs him when we step on that pitch. We’ll have to see what happens but in my eyes he is great.”

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Boyle will be clocking up the air miles again during the close season, revealing: “I have two World Cup qualifiers in Bangladesh and Perth in Australia, so I’ll leave on May 28. I’ll get next week off and go on holiday with the family and after that head for the internationals.

“Then we’ll see what happens. I’ll get a break this week and then I’m sure I’ll get some extended time to get my focus back on things.

“I was unfortunate not to get a proper pre-season last year, I never got a holiday or anything like that because I gave up my summer to get back to where I was. So hopefully I’ll get a break, clear the mind and really look forward to getting back.”