Surprising to see this saviour of Staggies is still a best kept secret
Liam deserves to be playing at a very high level. He has earned that
LIAM BOYCE has become Scottish football’s most secret weapon. A stealth striker with firepower deserving of serious attention — yet capable of flying under the radar traps set by most major scouts.
Not that we should expect anyone at Ross County to complain about a lack of ‘big-club’ interest in the Northern Ireland international who has already scored 21 goals this season after finishing the previous term with 20.
Under contract until 2018, Boyce has scored almost half of the Staggies’ league goals in this campaign, leaving him just one behind Celtic’s Scott Sinclair in the Premiership top-scorer charts. That makes him arguably more valuable than any transfer fee.
And his scoring prowess will almost certainly keep County in the top flight. The four he banged in against Inverness Caley Thistle last Friday just emphasised that point.
Jimmy Nicholl, a coach of long standing in the Scottish game and currently assistant to Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill, is a huge fan of the player.
In fact, he is continually baffled by the fact that major clubs north of the border have so far overlooked the forward in favour of journeymen from the English lower leagues — players who, he believes, ‘couldn’t lace Boycie’s boots’.
Hibs and Hearts are thought to have shown fleeting interest, but Nicholl is hardly alone in agreeing that, yes, a certain club down Govan way — among others — probably missed a trick by not taking a chance on a front man of such clear ability.
And the former Rangers and Manchester United defender believes the 26-year-old — picked up and then dropped from a great height by Werder Bremen while still a teenager — has a new maturity, on and off the park, that makes him worthy of widespread attention.
Nicholl said: ‘There was a time when Liam would beat himself up badly. If he didn’t control a ball that came up to him or let the centre-half beat him to the ball, he would beat himself up and lose his way for a few minutes.
‘But, once he got out of that habit, his game changed. Now he reacts really well if he loses the ball — he reacts to situations instead of letting it play on his mind.
‘He’s become better and better as a player because of his fitness, too, of course.
‘After Germany, he went back to his first club Cliftonville, got himself right and proved his quality. He was too good for the Irish league, definitely.’
That Boyce decided to drop back into the ranks of his domestic game after the Bremen disappointment clearly said something about his desire to carry on.
By his own admission, he hasn’t always made the most of his talent. Maybe even allowed his head to be turned a bit. All that has clearly changed.
Nicholl said: ‘If somebody like Werder Bremen comes for you then, as a player and as an individual, you must think: “Jeez, these boys must rate me. They must think I’ve got the technique and the quality to play in the Bundesliga”.
‘But it didn’t work out. And, for nobody to take a chance on him after that, it must have left him disillusioned and disheartened.
‘I think the penny just dropped, he got himself right, his fitness level is excellent. That definitely helped him. And Ross County are reaping the benefit. Just look at the goals. I mean, he’s scored 20 times in the league this season.
‘Look at how many County have scored. What, 41? So he’s scored half of his team’s league goals.
‘If you just watch his overall game, the way he peels away for headers, the way he nips into the near post, you can understand those numbers. ‘Look at
any situation around the six-yard box. He’s just got an instinct for goal. That’s because, technically, he’s very good. Because he has it under control, he can be calm and composed on the ball. ‘He’s not lightning quick but he just drops the shoulder, does a wee trick and gets half a yard. And half a yard in the six-yard box is a goal, most times. ‘Honestly, I love him to bits, just the way he goes about his game.’ What has really caught the eye of Nicholl, even more than the goals, has been Boyce’s ability to influence games from almost any position. ‘I’ve seen him play six or seven times this year, because he’s one of our players, and I’m always impressed,’ said Nicholl, who won 73 caps for his country.
‘I’ve seen him play up front, I’ve seen him play off the striker. I even saw him play in the middle of the park, in a 4-4-2, against Hearts at Tynecastle. He was one of the central two and he was back-tracking, doing everything.
‘So, when you go back to Michael with reports like that, obviously he’s impressed that it’s not just his goals — but the overall contribution he makes to a team.’
Aside from reports of interest from English Championship clubs during the January window, Boyce has been conspicuous by his absence from a lot of the chatter surrounding the market. But that could all change this summer.
‘At this minute in time, you do wonder. Is he going to get a big one?’ asked Nicholl. ‘No disrespect to Ross County, but will a bigger club take a chance on him?
‘I am surprised he’s still there. But do English clubs look at goals scored in the Scottish league and say: “Ach, if they’re not with the big two, we’re not interested…”?
‘He deserves to be playing at a very high level. He’s certainly worth it.
‘And this is what annoys me about bigger Scottish clubs, even. They don’t know what’s under their noses. They really don’t.
‘We’ve got clubs who go down to England, pay big wages for boys from League One and League Two even — and they couldn’t lace Boycie’s boots.’
Asked if he thought his old club might have made a play to get Boyce into Ibrox, Nicholl laughed and said: ‘Well, yeah! Whether Boycie would have gone or not is another issue — he’s the biggest Celtic supporter you’ll ever meet. But I don’t think that would have put him off. But that was an obvious one. No doubt.’