Boyle ‘mind blown’ by chance at World Cup
MARTIN BOYLE admits the prospect of playing at a World Cup finals is ‘mind-blowing’ as he attempts to help Australia move one step closer to reaching Qatar today.
The Socceroos and Saudi Arabia are already both six points clear as joint leaders of AFC Group B after three straight wins, with the top two countries automatically qualifying for next year’s tournament.
Australia will aim to maintain their flawless start against Kyogo Furuhashi’s Japan in Saitama this afternoon.
And Hibs winger Boyle, who only pledged his allegiance to Australia – the country of his dad Graeme’s birth – in 2018 admits gracing the biggest football stage on earth would be surreal.
He said: “It is astonishing to me now to be sitting here and talking about a World Cup.
“It isn’t a position I ever thought I would be in – it is the pinnacle of anyone’s career. Even if you had said this to me just a few years back, I would probably have laughed.
“It would be a great honour and it would be amazing not just for me but for my family as well. We have made a good, solid start but there is still a long way to go.
“I think the World Cup in 2002 is the earliest memory I have of the tournament – I loved Ronaldo and Ronaldhino and I loved that Brazil side.
“I was at primary school and it was the first tournament I really remember watching and looking forward to all the games, collecting the stickers and charting the groups. To be at the stage of my career where it is a realistic ambition
It isn’t a position I ever thought I’d be in... it is the pinnacle of anyone’s career
is mind-blowing.”
Boyle, who scored in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Oman to take his tally for club and country to 12 goals in 16 games, has recalled how the possibility of him playing for Australia all started off as a joke.
He added: “Three years ago Mark Milligan and Jamie MacLaren were at Hibs and Graham Arnold came to our training ground to see them.
“It all started off as a bit of a joke really with the two guys telling him that my dad, Graeme, was Australian.
“Then he asked if I wanted to go to a training camp in Dubai and see how I got on.
“There had been some chat about Scotland when Alex McLeish was manager but by the time he spoke to me I had already committed to going to that Dubai camp with Australia and I didn’t want to go back on my word. I have never looked back.
“I hadn’t ever been to Australia before I played for them. I think it was a bit strange at first as I don’t think many of the guys had seen me play so it did feel a bit like a
trial. But the manager put a lot of trust in me and it was amazing to make such an impact on my debut.
“I was never made to feel anything other than welcome by all the guys. I did have to slow down a bit when I was speaking as I am not sure anyone understood a word of what I was saying but they have all really accepted me and I think that is reflected in my performances. I feel completely at home.”
Boyle has joked how he and wife Rachael – a Scotland and Hibs midfielder – are now embroiled in a family tug of war about where three-old daughter Amelia’s allegiances should lie.
Speaking to fifa.com, he added: “I keep telling Rachael that she’s going to be a little Matilda. She, of course, has her marked for Scotland.”