'White Pele' Boyd keen to give Scots flair up front

Published on Tuesday 5 May 2009 23:00

GEORGE BOYD has refuted suggestions he will simply be operating under a flag of convenience when he plays for Scotland in tonight's B international against Northern Ireland.

The 23-year-old Peterborough United forward has unwittingly upset some Tartan Army fundamentalists with comments he made to his club's website last week following his surprise recruitment to the Scotland cause by manager George Burley.

Boyd had described the notion of ever earning an England call-up "far fetched" and observed that "any international recognition is great".

But the Chatham-born player, eligible for Scotland through his paternal grandfather, Richard, who is from Motherwell, was insistent yesterday that he will pull on a dark blue jersey with genuine pride.

"I didn't have to think twice about it when I was asked, I accepted straight away," said Boyd. "There was no doubt in my mind at all. I'm proud to play for Scotland and that's all that matters.

"It's very exciting for me. It's a great honour to come up and play for Scotland. My family are very proud, as I am, about it all.

"It's been a bit of a whirlwind. Our director of football Barry Fry rang me last Monday to say that George Burley had spoken to him and it has all happened so quickly.

"Obviously, I've always been aware of my Scottish roots and I knew representatives from the Scotland management team had come to watch me a few times. It has just been a great end to a great season for me."

Before his arrival on Monday night to join the squad, following a civic reception earlier in the day for the Peterborough squad who have won successive promotions from League Two to the Championship under Darren Ferguson's management, Boyd had never set foot on Scottish soil. He retains family connections in Motherwell, however, and some cousins he has never met before will be among those in attendance at Broadwood Stadium tonight.

"My grandfather lives in London now and won't be able to make it to the game," added Boyd. "But my Dad is coming up and there will be a lot of friends and family there."

So what can Scotland supporters expect from the player extravagantly nicknamed the 'White Pele' by his adoring fans at Stevenage Borough, the non-league club with whom he rebuilt his career after the disappointment of being released by Charlton when he was 15?

"A bit of flair," is Boyd's own response to that question. "I like to get at players, take on full-backs. Hopefully I can contribute a few assists and goals for Scotland. That's what my club manager wants me to do and hopefully I can also do it on this stage.

"I wore the No 10 shirt for Stevenage and that's when the Pele stuff started. It was a Wayne Rooney song that the Stevenage fans changed to put Boydie at the end of it. It is more of a joke, but it's lovely that they did that. When I was released by Charlton, I certainly never thought these things would happen to me. There are five or six of us in the Peterborough squad who were on the non-league circuit and I think it's a good thing.

"You don't take anything for granted when you have come through that way. We are all very ambitious boys at Peterborough and hopefully we can keep climbing through the leagues together.

"I went to Stevenage when I was 16 on a college scheme. I had to get a job on the side, because Stevenage were not full-time at that stage. It wasn't until I was 19 that they went full-time. I worked at the sweet shop in Hitchin train station for about an hour a day to pay for my train ticket back to Kent at the weekend. So it's been some journey from there to being involved with Scotland."

Boyd, described by Sir Alex Ferguson as a "beautiful footballer" after one of his regular visits to watch Peterborough, wore the white shirt of England on six occasions at semi-professional level while with Stevenage, including a 2-0 defeat of Scotland at Eastbourne in 2006.

"No offence to the semi-professional set up," he said, "but it's not real international football. This is a better level and I'm looking forward to seeing how I perform. Everyone wants to be in the main squad and this is a great opportunity. There is no reason why you can't be in the manager's plans if you can do well in this game.

"Darren Ferguson has been a big influence on me and is delighted I'm playing for Scotland. He joined the club around the same time I did. Sir Alex has come to a few of our games, he is very supportive of his son, and long may it continue.

"Sir Alex is a legend in the game and you are obviously going to take confidence from someone like him saying good things about you."