Kris Boyd
Encyclopedia
Kris Boyd is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Turkish
side Eskişehirspor
.
Boyd grew up in the Ayrshire
village of Tarbolton
and started his senior career with Kilmarnock
. He transferred to Rangers in January 2006, and was Rangers' top goalscorer in each of his seasons at Ibrox
. He is presently the highest goalscorer in the history of the Scottish Premier League, with 164 goals in total.
Boyd had a short unsuccessful spell in English football with Middlesbrough
, during which time he was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest. He signed for Turkish club Eskişehirspor
in 2011.
Having played several games for the Scotland U21
and Scotland B
teams, Boyd received his first cap
for the senior Scottish national team
in 2006. He has scored seven goals in sixteen appearances for the senior national side, though withdrew from the team in 2008 and only made himself available for selection again after George Burley
's departure as manager.
, near Ayr
, and was a Rangers
fan while growing up.
He began his footballing career at Rangers, playing in several trial matches. However, he eventually joined the youth development program at Kilmarnock
, ten miles from his home village, at the age of twelve.
. He was given his chance to stake a place in the team the following season with the departures of Ally McCoist
(who finished his career the day of Boyd's debut) and Christophe Cocard
, scoring four goals in total.
Boyd started the 2002–03 season, in "impressive" form and won the SPL Young Player of the Month award for August. In total he scored 12 times in the season and won Kilmarnock's award for Young Player of the Year. His form attracted the interest of Wolverhampton Wanderers
, and he had a trial with the Molineux
club in August 2003. Boyd scored a total of fifteen goals in the 2003–04 season. In September 2004, he equalled a Scottish Premier League record when he scored all five of Kilmarnock's goals against Dundee United
. He scored 19 goals in all competitions in the 2004–05 season, and was linked with a move to Aberdeen
.
Boyd's form during the 2005–06 attracted interest from Championship
sides Cardiff City
and Sheffield Wednesday
had offers accepted by Kilmarnock, however, Boyd rejected the moves.
, Boyd officially joined Rangers on 1 January 2006. He waived half of his £40,000 signing on fee, which Kilmarnock were due to pay him under the terms of his contract, to help fund the youth setup at Kilmarnock.
He made his debut on 7 January 2006 against Peterhead
in the Scottish Cup
third round, in which he scored a hat-trick
during a 5–0 win. He went on to score 20 goals in 17 starts for Rangers in the second half of that season, ending it with a total of 37 goals for Rangers and Kilmarnock. He became the first player to finish top scorer at two clubs in one season, having scored 17 goals for Kilmarnock before his move.
After scoring a penalty against Motherwell
in January 2007, Boyd was involved in controversy when he held up six fingers, reportedly in a show of solidarity for former club captain Barry Ferguson
(who wore the number six shirt), who had been stripped of his position and dropped from the team following a dispute with Paul Le Guen
. Le Guen left the club days later and was replaced by the then Scotland manager Walter Smith
. By the end of that season, Boyd scored 25 goals for Rangers in all competitions. Boyd scored his 100th Scottish Premier League
goal, and his first against Celtic
on 5 May 2007, in a 2–0 victory for Rangers.
The 2007–08 season saw Boyd score his 50th and 51st goals in all competitions for Rangers in a League Cup match against East Fife
on 26 September 2007, 627 days after his debut. This made him the second fastest Rangers player ever to reach 50 goals for the club, behind Jim Forrest.
Boyd won the first trophy of his career on 16 March 2008 when Rangers defeated Dundee United
to win the 2008 League Cup
. He scored both of Rangers' goals in the 2–2 draw and scored the winning penalty in the subsequent penalty shootout. He also scored a double in the 2008 Scottish Cup Final
, a 3–2 win over Queen of the South
. He finished that season with 25 goals in all competitions for Rangers.
In January 2009, speculation surfaced about a possible move to Birmingham City
to play for former Rangers manager, Alex McLeish
. Rangers accepted a bid of nearly £4 million; however, Boyd could not agree personal terms and decided to stay at Rangers. In season 2008–09 Boyd won his first Scottish Premier League
title and another Scottish Cup. He finished as top scorer again for Rangers with 31 goals in all competitions, his highest total yet, and was awarded the club's first Sam English Bowl for top Rangers scorer in a season.
On 30 December 2009, Boyd scored five goals in a 7–1 victory over Dundee United
; in doing so, he passed Henrik Larsson
as the all-time leader in goals in the Scottish Premier League. On 1 May 2010, Boyd scored his 100th league goal for Rangers at Tannadice against Dundee United.
In the 2009–10 season, Boyd was the top scorer with Rangers and the Scottish Premier League again with 26 goals in 40 games. With this return he won the Sam English Bowl for the second time and the Scottish Premier League
and League Cup
both for the second time. On 28 May 2010, Rangers admitted that Boyd would be leaving once his contract runs out.
,with a weekly wage estimated to be around £30,000 a week. On 22 August 2010, he scored his first goal for Middlesbrough in a 1–0 victory against Sheffield United
. His second followed on 28 September against Derby County
. Boyd scored in a 2–1 defeat against Leeds United
on 16 October 2010, which was Gordon Strachan
's final game in charge of the club. He scored his fourth of the season against Bristol City in Tony Mowbray's
first game as Boro boss. On 9 November 2010 Boyd scored the opener in Middlesbrough's 2–0 win over Scunthorpe. Boyd achieved his 200th club career goal on 1 February 2011, in scoring the first in Middlesbrough's 2–0 home victory over Scunthorpe by latching onto a long ball from Seb Hines before lobbing the goalkeeper. On 8 March 2011, Boyd joined Nottingham Forest
on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season.
, Boyd remained at Middlesbrough and hadn't started a match for a month by the time the loan deal was signed, having only started 19 games the whole season for Middlesbrough. Boyd's loan deal was signed until the end of the 2010–11 season, and Boyd was issued with the number 22 jersey. Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith moved in the opposite direction because of injuries at Middlesbrough. The same day he made his move to Forest, Boyd debuted from the bench in a 2–1 defeat to Sheffield United. He scored six goals in nine league appearances for Forest, taking his total in the Football League Championship
to twelve.
Süper Lig club Eskişehirspor
on 8 July 2011. By 26 November, Boyd had played just 76 minutes of league football for Eskişehirspor.
team, winning eight caps and scoring once.
On 11 May 2006, he made his debut for the Scotland national team
and scored twice in a 5–1 win over Bulgaria
in the Kirin Cup
. Boyd extended his fine international form into European Championship qualifying
, scoring twice against the Faroe Islands
in a 6–0 win and also against Georgia
in a 2–1 win, his fifth goal in six games.
On 11 October 2008, Boyd stated that he would not play international football again under manager George Burley
. His decision came after Burley had left Boyd on the substitute bench in a 0–0 World Cup
qualifying match against Norway
, opting to bring on debutant Chris Iwelumo
instead. When asked about the decision, Burley stated that Boyd had "to establish himself in the Rangers team, which he hasn't done". After hearing those comments, Boyd contacted Burley to inform him of his decision, and confirmed his decision with Gordon Smith, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association. At a press conference on 13 October 2008, Burley hinted that the door might not be closed should Boyd reconsider, stating that Boyd, rather than he, had "made the decision", and that "...if [Boyd] is totally committed, that's what the country needs". It was reported on 1 January 2009 that Burley would welcome Boyd back into the Scotland setup if he was willing to return. On 16 November 2009, Burley was sacked as manager of Scotland after winning just three out of fourteen games as manager.
After Craig Levein
was appointed manager of Scotland, Boyd stated that he was "ready and willing" to play for Scotland again. He was called up to the Scotland squad on 22 February 2010 to play against the Czech Republic
in a friendly on 3 March and received his sixteenth cap in the second half of the game.
, whose key attribute is his strike rate. He scored an average of two goals for every three games during his time at Rangers;], making his goals-to-games ratio even more impressive. He prefers to play in the penalty box, where he can play off the shoulders of defenders who are close to their goals. Alex McLeish
considered him to rival Ally McCoist
in goalscoring ability.
When he fails to score, however, his overall contribution to the team is often questioned. Manager Walter Smith occasionally chose not to play him owing to his lack of contribution to the overall team performance; With Smith's common 4–5–1 formation, Boyd was not seen to be an effective lone striker. The likes of Paul Le Guen
, Alex McLeish
, George Burley
and Craig Levein
have also omitted Boyd from their starting line ups in the so called 'bigger matches'. Commentators have noted, however, that as his style of play relies on good service from the rest of the team, Boyd may have been an effective player in an earlier era when Rangers' affluence afforded them higher-quality players with which to service the striker.
During his time with Rangers
, Boyd was often paired with Kenny Miller
in attack. In this partnership, Miller would often move a lot and run with the ball, while Boyd would stick to finishing, which is why Boyd was occasionally called 'Lazy'.
|-
| 2000–01|| rowspan="6" | Kilmarnock
|| rowspan="11" |Scottish Premier League
|| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
| 2001–02
| 28 || 4 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 32 || 4
|-
| 2002–03
| 38 || 12 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 40 || 12
|-
| 2003–04
| 37 || 15 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 40 || 15
|-
| 2004–05
| 30 || 17 || 3 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 35 || 19
|-
| 2005–06
| 19 || 15 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 20 || 17
|-
| 2005–06|| rowspan="5" | Rangers
| 17 || 17 || 2 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 21 || 20
|-
| 2006–07
| 32 || 20 || 1 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 9 || 3 || 44 || 26
|-
| 2007–08
| 28 || 14 || 6 || 6 || 3 || 5 || 4 || 0 || 41 || 25
|-
| 2008–09
| 35 || 27 || 5 || 1 || 4 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 46 || 31
|-
| 2009–10
| 31 || 23 || 5 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 40 || 26
|-
| rowspan="2" |2010–11
|| Middlesbrough
|| rowspan="2" |Football League Championship
| 27 || 6 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 29 || 6
|-
| Nottingham Forest
| 10 || 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 10 || 6
|-
| 2011–12
|| Eskişehirspor
||Süper Lig
| 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || colspan="2" |–||0 || 0 || 2 || 0
|-
296 ||164 ||27 ||17 ||17 ||11 ||20 ||3||360 ||195
37 ||12 ||1 ||0||1||0 ||0 ||0||39 ||12
2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || colspan="2" |–||0 || 0 || 2 || 0
335||176||28||17||18||11||20||3||401||207
|}
Individual:
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
side Eskişehirspor
Eskisehirspor
Eskişehirspor is a football club in Eskişehir, Turkey. Also known as Kırmızı Şimşekler or The Star of Anatolia. The club was founded in 1965 and started a football revolution in Anatolia. Eskişehirspor started a long term stay in the first league in Turkey when they were founded. This term lasted...
.
Boyd grew up in the Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
village of Tarbolton
Tarbolton
Tarbolton is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland.- Meaning of place-name :Tarbolton has been suggested as having one of three meanings:...
and started his senior career with Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
. He transferred to Rangers in January 2006, and was Rangers' top goalscorer in each of his seasons at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
. He is presently the highest goalscorer in the history of the Scottish Premier League, with 164 goals in total.
Boyd had a short unsuccessful spell in English football with Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, during which time he was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest. He signed for Turkish club Eskişehirspor
Eskisehirspor
Eskişehirspor is a football club in Eskişehir, Turkey. Also known as Kırmızı Şimşekler or The Star of Anatolia. The club was founded in 1965 and started a football revolution in Anatolia. Eskişehirspor started a long term stay in the first league in Turkey when they were founded. This term lasted...
in 2011.
Having played several games for the Scotland U21
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
and Scotland B
Scotland B national football team
The Scotland B national football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is a secondary football team of Scotland, run occasionally as support for the Scotland national football team as a second string side to the first team....
teams, Boyd received his first cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the senior Scottish national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in 2006. He has scored seven goals in sixteen appearances for the senior national side, though withdrew from the team in 2008 and only made himself available for selection again after George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
's departure as manager.
Early life
Boyd was raised in the village of TarboltonTarbolton
Tarbolton is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland.- Meaning of place-name :Tarbolton has been suggested as having one of three meanings:...
, near Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
, and was a Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
fan while growing up.
He began his footballing career at Rangers, playing in several trial matches. However, he eventually joined the youth development program at Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
, ten miles from his home village, at the age of twelve.
Kilmarnock
Boyd signed a senior contract with Kilmarnock on 25 August 1999 and made his debut for the club as a substitute on the last day of the 2000–01 season against CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. He was given his chance to stake a place in the team the following season with the departures of Ally McCoist
Ally McCoist
Alistair Murdoch "Ally" McCoist, MBE ; 24 September 1962) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Rangers in Scotland....
(who finished his career the day of Boyd's debut) and Christophe Cocard
Christophe Cocard
Christophe Cocard, is a former footballer. He spent the majority of career at AJ Auxerre, while representing France at the Euro 1992....
, scoring four goals in total.
Boyd started the 2002–03 season, in "impressive" form and won the SPL Young Player of the Month award for August. In total he scored 12 times in the season and won Kilmarnock's award for Young Player of the Year. His form attracted the interest of Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, and he had a trial with the Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
club in August 2003. Boyd scored a total of fifteen goals in the 2003–04 season. In September 2004, he equalled a Scottish Premier League record when he scored all five of Kilmarnock's goals against Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
. He scored 19 goals in all competitions in the 2004–05 season, and was linked with a move to Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
.
Boyd's form during the 2005–06 attracted interest from Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
sides Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
had offers accepted by Kilmarnock, however, Boyd rejected the moves.
Rangers
Following speculation that he would sign in the January transfer windowTransfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
, Boyd officially joined Rangers on 1 January 2006. He waived half of his £40,000 signing on fee, which Kilmarnock were due to pay him under the terms of his contract, to help fund the youth setup at Kilmarnock.
He made his debut on 7 January 2006 against Peterhead
Peterhead F.C.
Peterhead F.C. are a football club based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. They currently play in the Scottish Football League Third Division, following promotion in the 2004–05 season.Their home ground is Balmoor in Peterhead, with a capacity of 4,000...
in the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
third round, in which he scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
during a 5–0 win. He went on to score 20 goals in 17 starts for Rangers in the second half of that season, ending it with a total of 37 goals for Rangers and Kilmarnock. He became the first player to finish top scorer at two clubs in one season, having scored 17 goals for Kilmarnock before his move.
After scoring a penalty against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
in January 2007, Boyd was involved in controversy when he held up six fingers, reportedly in a show of solidarity for former club captain Barry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson MBE is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Blackpool.Ferguson has made 82 appearances in European competitions, all for Rangers, which makes him the record European appearance holder at the club. He was also inducted into the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame...
(who wore the number six shirt), who had been stripped of his position and dropped from the team following a dispute with Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen is a French football manager and former player. He was recently confirmed as new manager of the Oman national football team.Le Guen had a successful managerial career in France, most notably leading Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. He has also managed Stade...
. Le Guen left the club days later and was replaced by the then Scotland manager Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
. By the end of that season, Boyd scored 25 goals for Rangers in all competitions. Boyd scored his 100th Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
goal, and his first against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
on 5 May 2007, in a 2–0 victory for Rangers.
The 2007–08 season saw Boyd score his 50th and 51st goals in all competitions for Rangers in a League Cup match against East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
on 26 September 2007, 627 days after his debut. This made him the second fastest Rangers player ever to reach 50 goals for the club, behind Jim Forrest.
Boyd won the first trophy of his career on 16 March 2008 when Rangers defeated Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
to win the 2008 League Cup
2008 Scottish League Cup Final
-Statistics:-References:...
. He scored both of Rangers' goals in the 2–2 draw and scored the winning penalty in the subsequent penalty shootout. He also scored a double in the 2008 Scottish Cup Final
2008 Scottish Cup Final
The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...
, a 3–2 win over Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
. He finished that season with 25 goals in all competitions for Rangers.
In January 2009, speculation surfaced about a possible move to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
to play for former Rangers manager, Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
. Rangers accepted a bid of nearly £4 million; however, Boyd could not agree personal terms and decided to stay at Rangers. In season 2008–09 Boyd won his first Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
title and another Scottish Cup. He finished as top scorer again for Rangers with 31 goals in all competitions, his highest total yet, and was awarded the club's first Sam English Bowl for top Rangers scorer in a season.
On 30 December 2009, Boyd scored five goals in a 7–1 victory over Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
; in doing so, he passed Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...
as the all-time leader in goals in the Scottish Premier League. On 1 May 2010, Boyd scored his 100th league goal for Rangers at Tannadice against Dundee United.
In the 2009–10 season, Boyd was the top scorer with Rangers and the Scottish Premier League again with 26 goals in 40 games. With this return he won the Sam English Bowl for the second time and the Scottish Premier League
2009–10 Scottish Premier League
The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April...
and League Cup
2010 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:...
both for the second time. On 28 May 2010, Rangers admitted that Boyd would be leaving once his contract runs out.
Middlesbrough
On 5 July 2010, Boyd signed a two year contract with Championship side MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
,with a weekly wage estimated to be around £30,000 a week. On 22 August 2010, he scored his first goal for Middlesbrough in a 1–0 victory against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
. His second followed on 28 September against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Boyd scored in a 2–1 defeat against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on 16 October 2010, which was Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
's final game in charge of the club. He scored his fourth of the season against Bristol City in Tony Mowbray's
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
first game as Boro boss. On 9 November 2010 Boyd scored the opener in Middlesbrough's 2–0 win over Scunthorpe. Boyd achieved his 200th club career goal on 1 February 2011, in scoring the first in Middlesbrough's 2–0 home victory over Scunthorpe by latching onto a long ball from Seb Hines before lobbing the goalkeeper. On 8 March 2011, Boyd joined Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season.
Loan to Nottingham Forest
Despite speculation during the January transfer windowTransfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
, Boyd remained at Middlesbrough and hadn't started a match for a month by the time the loan deal was signed, having only started 19 games the whole season for Middlesbrough. Boyd's loan deal was signed until the end of the 2010–11 season, and Boyd was issued with the number 22 jersey. Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith moved in the opposite direction because of injuries at Middlesbrough. The same day he made his move to Forest, Boyd debuted from the bench in a 2–1 defeat to Sheffield United. He scored six goals in nine league appearances for Forest, taking his total in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
to twelve.
Eskişehirspor
Boyd signed a three-year contract with TurkishTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Süper Lig club Eskişehirspor
Eskisehirspor
Eskişehirspor is a football club in Eskişehir, Turkey. Also known as Kırmızı Şimşekler or The Star of Anatolia. The club was founded in 1965 and started a football revolution in Anatolia. Eskişehirspor started a long term stay in the first league in Turkey when they were founded. This term lasted...
on 8 July 2011. By 26 November, Boyd had played just 76 minutes of league football for Eskişehirspor.
International career
Boyd was a regular in the Scotland under-21Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
team, winning eight caps and scoring once.
On 11 May 2006, he made his debut for the Scotland national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and scored twice in a 5–1 win over Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
in the Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
. Boyd extended his fine international form into European Championship qualifying
2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
This page describes the qualifying procedure for the UEFA Euro 2008.- Seedings :Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in both UEFA Euro 2004 and FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying stages. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, counted...
, scoring twice against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
in a 6–0 win and also against Georgia
Georgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
in a 2–1 win, his fifth goal in six games.
On 11 October 2008, Boyd stated that he would not play international football again under manager George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
. His decision came after Burley had left Boyd on the substitute bench in a 0–0 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
qualifying match against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, opting to bring on debutant Chris Iwelumo
Chris Iwelumo
Christopher Robert "Chris" Iwelumo is a Scottish footballer who plays for Watford as a striker.Iwelumo started his career with St Mirren before moving to Danish club Aarhus Fremad for two years. A move to Stoke City in 2000 saw him sent out on loan to several teams before a short-lived spell with...
instead. When asked about the decision, Burley stated that Boyd had "to establish himself in the Rangers team, which he hasn't done". After hearing those comments, Boyd contacted Burley to inform him of his decision, and confirmed his decision with Gordon Smith, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association. At a press conference on 13 October 2008, Burley hinted that the door might not be closed should Boyd reconsider, stating that Boyd, rather than he, had "made the decision", and that "...if [Boyd] is totally committed, that's what the country needs". It was reported on 1 January 2009 that Burley would welcome Boyd back into the Scotland setup if he was willing to return. On 16 November 2009, Burley was sacked as manager of Scotland after winning just three out of fourteen games as manager.
After Craig Levein
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager of the Scotland national team. During his playing career he played for Cowdenbeath and Heart of Midlothian...
was appointed manager of Scotland, Boyd stated that he was "ready and willing" to play for Scotland again. He was called up to the Scotland squad on 22 February 2010 to play against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in a friendly on 3 March and received his sixteenth cap in the second half of the game.
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 11 May 2006 | Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... , Japan |
1–0 | 5–1 | Kirin Cup Kirin Cup The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national... |
|
| 2. | 11 May 2006 | Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... , Japan |
2–1 | 5–1 | Kirin Cup Kirin Cup The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national... |
|
| 3. | 2 September 2006 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland |
3–0 | 6–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B -Standings:Key:*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.Notes on the qualified teams:*Italy and France secured qualification to the tournament proper on 2007-11-17 following Italy's 2-1 win against Scotland, becoming the fifth and sixth teams in the whole of the qualification stage to... |
|
| 4. | 2 September 2006 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland |
5–0 | 6–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current... |
|
| 5. | 24 March 2007 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland |
1–0 | 2–1 | Euro 2008 qualifying UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current... |
|
| 6. | 22 August 2007 | Aberdeen Aberdeen Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of .... , Scotland |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly match | |
| 7. | 8 September 2007 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland |
1–0 | 3–1 | Euro 2008 qualifying UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current... |
Style of play
Boyd is typically defined as a goal poacherGoal poacher
In association football, a goal poacher is a type of forward primarily known for scoring ability and movement inside the penalty box.- Details :...
, whose key attribute is his strike rate. He scored an average of two goals for every three games during his time at Rangers;], making his goals-to-games ratio even more impressive. He prefers to play in the penalty box, where he can play off the shoulders of defenders who are close to their goals. Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
considered him to rival Ally McCoist
Ally McCoist
Alistair Murdoch "Ally" McCoist, MBE ; 24 September 1962) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Rangers in Scotland....
in goalscoring ability.
When he fails to score, however, his overall contribution to the team is often questioned. Manager Walter Smith occasionally chose not to play him owing to his lack of contribution to the overall team performance; With Smith's common 4–5–1 formation, Boyd was not seen to be an effective lone striker. The likes of Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen is a French football manager and former player. He was recently confirmed as new manager of the Oman national football team.Le Guen had a successful managerial career in France, most notably leading Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. He has also managed Stade...
, Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
, George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
and Craig Levein
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager of the Scotland national team. During his playing career he played for Cowdenbeath and Heart of Midlothian...
have also omitted Boyd from their starting line ups in the so called 'bigger matches'. Commentators have noted, however, that as his style of play relies on good service from the rest of the team, Boyd may have been an effective player in an earlier era when Rangers' affluence afforded them higher-quality players with which to service the striker.
During his time with Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Boyd was often paired with Kenny Miller
Kenny Miller
Kenneth "Kenny" Miller is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Cardiff City and the Scotland national football team...
in attack. In this partnership, Miller would often move a lot and run with the ball, while Boyd would stick to finishing, which is why Boyd was occasionally called 'Lazy'.
Career statistics
|-
| 2000–01|| rowspan="6" | Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
|| rowspan="11" |Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
|| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
| 2001–02
| 28 || 4 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 32 || 4
|-
| 2002–03
| 38 || 12 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 40 || 12
|-
| 2003–04
| 37 || 15 || 2 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 40 || 15
|-
| 2004–05
| 30 || 17 || 3 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 35 || 19
|-
| 2005–06
| 19 || 15 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 20 || 17
|-
| 2005–06|| rowspan="5" | Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
| 17 || 17 || 2 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 21 || 20
|-
| 2006–07
| 32 || 20 || 1 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 9 || 3 || 44 || 26
|-
| 2007–08
| 28 || 14 || 6 || 6 || 3 || 5 || 4 || 0 || 41 || 25
|-
| 2008–09
| 35 || 27 || 5 || 1 || 4 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 46 || 31
|-
| 2009–10
2009–10 Scottish Premier League
The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April...
| 31 || 23 || 5 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 40 || 26
|-
| rowspan="2" |2010–11
2010–11 Football League Championship
The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format...
|| Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
|| rowspan="2" |Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
| 27 || 6 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 29 || 6
|-
| Nottingham Forest
| 10 || 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 10 || 6
|-
| 2011–12
2011–12 Süper Lig
The 2011–12 Süper Lig is the 54th season of the Süper Lig, the highest football league of Turkey. Fenerbahçe are defending champions...
|| Eskişehirspor
Eskisehirspor
Eskişehirspor is a football club in Eskişehir, Turkey. Also known as Kırmızı Şimşekler or The Star of Anatolia. The club was founded in 1965 and started a football revolution in Anatolia. Eskişehirspor started a long term stay in the first league in Turkey when they were founded. This term lasted...
||Süper Lig
| 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || colspan="2" |–||0 || 0 || 2 || 0
|-
296 ||164 ||27 ||17 ||17 ||11 ||20 ||3||360 ||195
37 ||12 ||1 ||0||1||0 ||0 ||0||39 ||12
2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || colspan="2" |–||0 || 0 || 2 || 0
335||176||28||17||18||11||20||3||401||207
|}
Honours
Rangers- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(2): 2008–09, 2009–102009–10 Scottish Premier LeagueThe 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April... - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(2): 2007–082008 Scottish Cup FinalThe 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...
, 2008–092009 Scottish Cup FinalThe 2009 Scottish Cup Final was the final of the 124th season of the main domestic football cup competition in Scotland, the Scottish Cup. The final was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 30 May 2009... - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(2): 2007–082008 Scottish League Cup Final-Statistics:-References:...
, 2009–102010 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:...
Individual:
- Scottish Premier League Top Scorer (4): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Scottish Premier League Player of the MonthScottish Premier League monthly awardsThis article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...
(3): November 2005, January 2006, December 2009