Jig: Forget the critics, Boydy is one of the very best
LEE McCULLOCH says that Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd does not get the respect or credit he deserves, calling the forward the best finisher Scotland has produced for a generation.
Boyd scored his 201st goal in the Scottish top flight as Kilmarnock snatched a win at Ross County last weekend, and he is the only striker to bag 100 goals for two clubs in the division.
McCulloch feels such a record is worthy of praise, and is at a loss to explain why Boyd receives far more stick than plaudits from supporters around the country.
“He’s definitely the best Scottish finisher of his generation,” McCulloch said.
“There will be people who will throw names out there, but to do it in Scotland as consistently as he has done it then there’s not many to rival him.
“He beat Henrik Larsson’s record, and you could name all the other greats that he’s ahead of, so why should Kris Boyd not get all the adulation that he’s due?
“Why do some people get it and Kris Boyd will just get stick as normal? The one thing you can’t take away from him is that goal return.”
All of this is not to say that McCulloch feels Boyd cannot handle the stick that comes his way.
He added: “Out of all of my playing days he’s the mentally strongest player I’ve played with. He believes in himself and be- lieves that no matter what, he is going to score.
“Boydy could race a lot of football players over 100 metres and he might not win too many, but I don’t think there’s anyone faster in the Premiership right now than Kris in the box.
“We’ve started creating chances in the last few games and he’s getting on the end of things.”