Hibs' Martin Boyle prepares to make long-awaited Australia return as cheerleader set to line up alongside Hearts and St Mirren pals

Martin Boyle is part of the Australia squad currently in the US to face Mexico.

The Socceroos face the CONCACAF side in a friendly at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a 3am kick-off UK time and the Hibs winger is expected to switch back from the squad cheerleader role he adopted at last year’s world cup, to talismanic attacker.

The 30-year-old last featured in a friendly victory over New Zealand almost a year ago, a month before he was crocked against St Mirren while playing for Hibs. Although he battled to rehab in time to take to the field in Qatar, his knee injury consigned him to a watching brief, although Football Australia opted to include him in the travelling squad, such was his impact on team morale.

But, having recovered from ACL surgery, he has returned to action for the Leith club and with 10 games under his belt for Hibs, in Europe and in the Premiership and the League Cup, he is back in manager Graham Arnold’s plans. He is joined in the squad by former Hibee Jackson Irvine, as well as the Hearts trio Nathaniel Atkinson, Kye Rowles and Cammy Devlin, and St Mirren’s Keanu Baccus and Ryan Strain.

Scotland defender John Souttar’s brother Harry has also been named, along with another Scottish-born defender, Cameron Burgess, who is one of five uncapped players in the squad. The Ipswich player was born in Aberdeen, but emigrated to Perth with his family as an 11-year-old and won youth caps for Australia as well as Scotland.