Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Boyce excited by Hearts’ attacking approach
HEARTS striker Liam Boyce admits it is exciting to be part of a team he believes is equipped to go to Celtic Park and play on the front foot.
The Northern Irishman was previously part of a Ross County team for which visits to Glasgow usually represented exercises in damage limitation.
However, having won three of his seven meetings with Celtic and Rangers since joining Hearts at the start of 2020, Boyce is relishing the prospect of going to Celtic Park tonight knowing a win will lift them above their hosts and up to second place.
He said: “When I was at Ross County, Celtic were formidable. They were pretty much winning every cup so we would set up defensively because we worried about the quality they had.
“When you set up defensively, you’re just delaying their chances to the end. With the quality these teams have, they’re going to take their chance, so it’s a breath of fresh air for me up front to be going into games like this believing we can get something from the game instead of worrying about the opposition.”
Hearts drew 1-1 with Rangers on their last visit to Glasgow in October and Boyce felt the way they played that day proves they should not be fazed by either of the big two. He said: “With the quality we have, we believe we can hurt any team. The Rangers match showed that to me even more.”
Boyce added: “We beat Celtic in the first game of the season at home and it was a really good performance, but when we went there in the cup, in the first half, we couldn’t get out our half basically.
“We know they’re a good team but hopefully we can win the ball in more advanced positions to try to take advantage.”