GAFFER’S TOLD ME TO STICK TO MY RUNS
Boyle has Lenny’s blessing as Hibees’ wizard of the dribble
Martin Boyle was stunned to hear boss Neil Lennon tip him as a Scotland star in the making.
The Easter Road winger is happy to take his word for it after Lenny elevated his career from fringe player to central figure.
Lennon insists international honours are a possibility for Boyle given his progression.
Thursday’s Europa League loss to Molde ended the Hibees’ continental run but for 25-year-old Boyle it was a far cr y from starting out at Montrose and dreaming of a bigger stage on which to display his talent.
He said: “It was a big compliment for the manager to talk well of me but he has given me the opportunity and I don’t want to let him down.
“He’s not the type of man you want to let down but he has given me the confidence to play.
“I feel as though I have stepped my game up a level. It’s nice to hear the manager speak about me but I need to keep working hard on the training ground and take it game by game.
“Before I was in and out of the team and coming on as a sub but he has given me the run of games I needed.
“He has told me it doesn’t matter if I lose the ball 99 times out of 100, he just wants me to get at people.
“That has lifted my confidence so he has done an awful lot for me.
“He gave me a contract extension as well so I bit his hand off for that.
“I don’t want to break that trust I have with him. He has given me this platform and I just want to keep progressing under him.
“I still get a few rollickings from him and I take them on the chin.
“He’s a real winner and that rubs off on the whole squad.”
Boyle’s attentions now turn to this afternoon’s Betfred Cup clash with Ross County, which will provide a chance to get the 3- 0 defeat in Norway out of his system.
The Aberdeen- born wideman missed a golden chance to make it 1-1 in the second half against Molde as Hibs shot themselves in the foot.
He said: “It was a frustrating and difficult night, a hard one to take. Molde had chances and we had ours, which we didn’t take.
“We could have done better and I include myself in that.
“I was stuck in two minds when my chance came, I didn’t move my feet properly.
“It was a bad error. I will be the first to put my hands up to that.
“Molde are a good side but the first goal they scored was a set-piece and that’s not good enough for us.
“The manager said the scoreline flattered Molde but they took their opportunities and we didn’t. We had our chances.”
Boyle believes a win over County today could at least provide some payback for the fans who made the long trip to Molde. He said: “Europe Easter Road, Today, 3pm has been brilliant for us as a squad. From where we were two years ago to where we are now real ly is something else.
“We are still making steps but we know reaching the third round is a good achievement even though we firmly believe that we could have done better.
“It was great to give the fans a few good trips abroad and they gave us brilliant backing.
“For all that, we feel as though we let the supporters down a bit on Thursday night.
“There is a bit of regret lingering in our heads but now we need to dust ourselves down and get ready for the game against Ross County. We need to recover well and if we do that then it will stand us in good stead.
“Playing in Europe gives you that hunger you need.
“We want to do better this season than we did in the previous campaign. We feel as though fourth place was really good for the first season but we fully believe we can push up there again.
“I don’t think we are a million miles away. We keep progressing year in and year out.
“We want to push even further up the league and we have other boys currently out of the squad who are itching to play.
“I’m sure that we will go on and be a force.”