KRIS BOYD CAN EASILY CHOOSE APOEL FC OF CYPRUS FOR HIS NEXT CAREER MOVE
Kris Boyd prepares for next chapter of his curious career
After departing Turkish club Eskisehirspor, the former Rangers striker is expected to be snapped up on a free in January
On the face of it, Kris Boyd should have clubs clambering over themselves to make him a contract offer. The fact he is unemployed at all belies career facts and figures.
January is a notoriously difficult period for managers to convince their counterparts to part with top players; it is also a time when prodigious strikers are much sought-after. Boyd, a free agent, is the highest scorer in the history of the Scottish Premier League and a player whom, at Rangers and Kilmarnock, was known solely for his goals. In 118 league starts at Rangers, Boyd found the net 101 times. At Kilmarnock, where, quite clearly, chances were at more of a premium, he notched 63 goals in 106 league starts.
Boyd's post-Ibrox struggles are fascinating and manna from heaven to his many detractors. Where he ends up next, and how he performs, is guaranteed to trigger intrigue.
As seems to be a distinctly Scottish trait, observers have always been quick to highlight the many things Boyd could not do on a football field rather than what he could. The 28-year-old is not particularly mobile, is not known for his strong aerial prowess and would never be deployed as a link-up man. Boyd would not fit any identikit of a modern centre- forward; in many ways, he is actually a throwback to the 1970s, both in physique and playing style.
Last September, it was reported that the Scotland manager, Craig Levein, did not think much of Boyd's attitude in a match against Liechtenstein. Boyd has not featured for his country since; previously, he had declared an unwillingness to be selected under George Burley. Nonetheless, Boyd possesses undoubted talent at doing the one thing which people regard as more difficult than anything else, scoring. When in Scotland colours, he has averaged better than a goal for every three caps, proof that he can take his form on to various stages.
It is now 18 months since Boyd joined Middlesbrough. His unsuccessful period there was in parallel with the manager who signed him, Gordon Strachan. A loan spell at Nottingham Forest – which returned six league goals in only seven starts – highlighted his time on Teesside would be a brief one; Tony Mowbray, Strachan's successor, had not apparently been as impressed with Boyd's scoring statistics. Anyone with even a rough idea of Mowbray's football philosophy would have worked out that he and Boyd would not be a perfect match.
Only a year after signing for Middlesbrough, Boyd departed for Turkey and the supposed riches of Eskisehirspor on a lucrative three-year deal. Within that contract, linked to Turkish clubs routinely being late in paying their players, was a clause which stated if a certain salary figure became owed to Boyd then he could demand that was settled within 15 days.
If the monies did not appear – as was the case – then Boyd could walk away from the club under breach of contract. The player's representatives remain confident they will win the case at Fifa to have the remaining terms of Boyd's contract paid in full, albeit that will prove a slow process. It had not helped the Ayrshireman's on-field situation that the Eskisehirspor coach was arrested on suspicion of match-fixing, and replaced by someone who had little regard for a rare footballing Scotsman abroad.
Aiden McGeady has proved a Scottish-born rarity by flourishing in the foreign environment of Russian football, something which is worthy of closer scrutiny. Boyd moved home only a short time after it emerged the former Hibernian forward Derek Riordan was cutting short a stint in China.
Boyd's camp remain upbeat about the striker's break from work being a brief one. A return to Rangers would seem the most logical move for a player who should now be approaching the peak of his talents. Ally McCoist, after all, has made no secret of his hopes of boosting his striking options in January; a matter which could become more urgent if Nikica Jelavic is coaxed to a Premier League club in England.
However, despite being made perfectly well aware of his availability, there has been no contact whatsoever from Rangers towards Boyd or his agent. An indication from Neil Lennon that he could become interested in the striker's services seemed little more than light-hearted mischief-making; Celtic's manager, too, is seeking a forward but of a different ilk to Boyd.
A move back to England, then, seems Boyd's most likely option and an attractive prospect to any manager seeking a relatively cheap, quick attacking fix. Boyd will not feature in any list of Britain's richest footballers but has already earned at a sufficient level for him not to be overly difficult to deal with.
Unquestionably, there will be an element of the coaching fraternity south of the border who will sniff at Boyd's record. The fact his most prolific form came in the SPL – a division regarded as second class by many, and not without justification – is pertinent. Still, a batch of players, Charlie Adam the most high-profile, have swapped Scotland's top league for the Championship in recent times and subsequently flourished.
Boyd needs something similar to happen. Before the end of the winter transfer window it seems virtually certain there will be a manager relying on that very same career kickstart.
Comments
Post a Comment