THE OLD BOYCE NETWORK
Liam hoping for international recall ahead of Old Firm double bill
LIAM BOYCE insists he is ready to end his sabbatical from Northern Ireland by hitting the heights at Hearts.
The Jambos striker seemed to pull the plug on playing for his country two years ago to focus on his young family, with his cap tally sitting at 28.
There was also a season-long absence with a serious knee injury that factored into his decision to snub previous gaffer Ian Baraclough.
But after a change of heart and a few chats with national boss Michael O’neill, the 32-year-old is itching to return to the fold.
He said: “Hopefully if I keep playing well I can make the gaffer pick me. I spoke to him, even when I was injured.
“When he first came back in as manager he asked if I’d think about coming back.
“It’s been about two years since I went away from it. I had stuff going on with my family – I’d just had a baby son – which meant I couldn’t do it.
“But I’d been thinking about going back. I had to wait and see and keep playing here.”
Hearts will now look to back up their draw with Hibs in their last outing when Celtic come to Gorgie today.
Boyce is aiming to get back on the goal trail before facing Rangers in their following fixture.
He said: “At the start of the season we were playing good football and not causing teams problems but we’ve fixed that.
“We’re asking more questions and making teams defend more. We’re finding that balance.
“The big games like Hibs are the ones you want to play in. My first game against Rangers is one I’ll always remember.
“They’re the ones where the fans are going mad.
“The atmosphere can change in a second and even a big tackle can change the atmosphere.”