Hibs offer major update on star man's future amid exit fears

Hibs head coach David Gray wants Martin Boyle to stay for another season at Easter Road and says there has been “positive chats” about the forward’s future.

Boyle is out of contract at the end of the season, although Hibs have the option of extending his current terms by a further year. As yet, there has been no white smoke on the 32-year-old’s situation beyond the end of this month, but speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premiership match, Gray gave the clearest indication yet that the Australian may stay.

Boyle has been at Hibs for two spells spanning nine seasons and has scored 96 goals for the club. He has become a fans’ favourite and has played an integral part in the current team being on the cusp of finishing third this season. Hibs lead Aberdeen by three points with a vastly superior goal difference with three matches to go in the current campaign.

Martin Boyle is out of contract at the end of the season. | SNS Group

"There have been really positive chats with all the players and Martin is one of them,” said Gray. “There have been a lot of positive conversations about futures and where we think the club can go next season and everything else that comes with that.

"Right now, he's fully focused on playing and my job is to make sure he gets the best out of him at that time so I'm delighted with where he is mentally and where he is with his performance levels. We've got a week to go until the end of the season and I'm sure everything will be revealed after that.

"I'd like him to stay. I think he's been fantastic going into his tenth season as well so that's another thing as well for Boyley, he's delivered for this football club for a number of years and I think he's done really well.

Getting best out of Martin Boyle

"There have been a lot of positive conversations and they'll be continuing just now but there's only one week to go with three games and our full focus is on and making sure that I get the best out of Martin Boyle for three games."

Gray has been delighted with the way Boyle has become one of his main forward and also how he has assumed a leadership role. In the absence of club captain Joe Newell, the Australia internationalist has worn the armband/

"It's just the consistency well,” continued Gray. “I know he sometimes gets overlooked or not talked about too much because people see the personality side to him or don't think he's serious because he likes a laugh and a joke but he's very professional in terms of how he goes about his business when he does work and he's been very consistent affecting games of football at this level for a number of years.

Head coach David Gray has been delighted with Martin Boyle this season. | SNS Group

"I don't know exactly what the number is, I think it's 27 goal involvements that he's had this season, which is some return. He had a bit of a slow start to the season with a wee bit of injury and playing through that but I also think he's massively matured as well with the extra responsibility this season.

"He's taken that on board really well and I'm seeing that in his performances right now. I think his output, his level of commitment and especially off-the-ball stuff, which is not something that all the fans will always see all the time but certainly something that the rest of the teammates are appreciating and I certainly appreciate it from the side of the pitch because it starts right from the very front.

"Everybody will always talk about how he can affect it from the way he goes forward with his goals and assists and his pace on the break and playing on that last line is obviously hard to play against.

Boyle shows extra maturity

“I speak a lot about the type of people at the club and the characters and he's definitely, as I said, matured into that role and took on that extra responsibility. Everyone leads in different ways, so not just from screaming and shouting, but standard setting and training every day.

“He does it with performances on the pitch and understanding what it takes to play for the club. He's been through tough times, he's been through real positive times but one thing he's always done is he's always been consistent in his level of performance which is a credit to him for his professionalism over the years.

“So from that point of view, you want to keep people like that at your football club as much as you can and I think it makes it a lot easier for new players if we do make any additions to the squad when you've got players like Martin Boyle, Joe Newell, the Caddens, players that understand what it takes to play for the football club. It massively helps players who join the club settle in as well.”