Scoring for Jambos is not my main goal
Boyce would rather see his team-mates net wins
LIAM BOYCE admits he’d happily take never scoring another goal for Hearts in return for the Jambos winning every week.
But that doesn’t stop the Tynecastle hitman targeting a 20-goal haul this season, having hit the halfway mark by the start of October.
Since then, injury has stalled the Northern Ireland attacker.
But he’s back fit – and hopes firing – for tonight’s trip to Celtic Park where a win would put Hearts second in the table.
The striker was sorely missed during the three games he sat out with a calf strain, prompting calls for the club to bring in another goalscorer as cover next month.
But Boyce believes the Jambos have plenty of capable alternatives to him when he isn’t available.
He said: “It’s a hard one. When people talk about me it’s good. But against Dundee United Gino [Josh Ginnelly] started up front and he was brilliant, and Ben [Woodburn] scored two goals. It’s different ways of playing.
“Against some teams we’re going to need different styles of play.
“If I was never to score again and we win every match, I’d happily take that and be buzzing if someone else scores.
“We’re in football to win games and that is the aim no matter who is playing.
“But I’ve always said I want to get 10 before Christmas. I got it really early this year and then got injured but I still try to stay positive. Ten goals, that’s a good position to be in.
“I just try to take it game by game. After the match on Saturday I was disappointed I didn’t score. I probably could have scored two.
“You try to save all that frustration to keep you sharp for when the next chance comes in the next game.
“It takes one goal. You need to keep getting in the right positions. Coming back from injury, if I wasn’t making those runs or getting those balls slipped into me, you don’t know when the next chance is going to come.
“I’ve still been getting chances and I know it is on me. I know I just need to sharpen up, concentrate on my first touch and take my chance.”
Hearts intend to have a go at Celtic Park and that suits the 30-year-old just fine.
He added: “I’ve played in teams that have gone there and set up defensively.
“It’s just more enjoyable playing in a team that believes they can go on and win.
“We’ve no reason not to believe in ourselves. Apart from the Motherwell and Aberdeen games where we didn’t show what we can do, against every other team we’ve had spells in the game.
“Even the Rangers game, we were 1-0 down at half-time but in the second half there was 20, 25 minutes where we were the more dominant team.
“We probably should have scored before we did.”