BOYDY IS LION IN WAIT
Celts idol will be happy if Killie ace beats his record
KRIS BOYD has a Lion roaring him on as he closes in another goalscoring landmark today.
Willie Wallace may be on the other side of the world in Australia but yesterday the man who starred for Celtic in the 1967 European Cup Final made sure his voice was heard in support of the Kilmarnock striker as he stands just seven goals shy of the 224 he notched during his glittering career.
Boyd will move into third place on his own in the post-war top-flight goals list if he nets against Hamilton, edging ahead of former Celtic and Hibs star Joe McBride.
Incredibly he has blasted 217 Premiership goals for Killie and Rangers and is top scorer this season, prompting calls for him to be named Player of the Year.
The 34-year-old might not catch runaway No.1 Ally McCoist who slammed an amazing 260.
But he is closing in on second-placed Wallace who netted 224 for Raith Rovers, Hearts, Celtic and Dumbarton. And if Boyd makes it the 77-year-old will be the first to congratulate him.
From his home Down Under, Lisbon Lion Wallace said: “I hope he does it. It would be a fantastic achievement.
“To score the amount of goals he has in the modern game is really special.
“Most clubs pay a fortune for someone who can bag 10 a season so that shows you how good Boyd has been.
“It’s all credit to him that he has consistently scored over such a prolonged period.
“Records are there to be broken and if he gets past me then I will be the first to congratulate him.
“It was only when I had finished my career I was told just how many goals I had scored. I never thought anyone would catch up with my total so it just underlines what a feat it’ll be if Kris goes on to do it.
“Ally did it in the 1990s so that record stood for a while and he deserved to do so.
“I can’t see Kris catching him. McCoist has set a record that will never be beaten.”
Former team-mate and boss Lee McCulloch reckons Boyd is the leading candidate for Player of the Year.
And he believes the striker could play on until he is 40 and set new scoring records.
McCulloch said: “There is a growing feeling he should be Player of the Year and what a great story that would be.
“I remember one season he had scored about 38 by Christmas and he didn’t win it because there is always this expectation he is going to bang them in every season.
“He needs to be rewarded for what he has achieved this season. I would be surprised if he doesn’t win Player of the Year and I certainly hope he does.”
Boyd is the only striker since the war to have scored 100 goals for two different clubs.
And McCulloch believes his scoring feats are all the more remarkable considering he has not played all his football in Scotland.
He said: “It’s a phenomenal achievement and when you consider he has been to England, Turkey and America during his career it’s even more impressive.
“He has been at least three seasons away from Scottish football so to still reach the total he has is fantastic.
“It would have been interesting if he had stayed longer at Rangers during his first spell at the club.
“He could have smashed every record going.
“All credit to him for scoring 20 goals at Kilmarnock this season. Kris could play on until he is 38, 39 or even 40.”