He’d never been to Australia before — now Martin Boyle is set for his Socceroos debut
Related Story: Daniel Arzani confirms he will need operation on torn ACL
Until now he's never set foot in Australia, but Scottish winger Martin Boyle stands a good chance of making his Socceroos debut this weekend.
Key points:
- Martin Boyle qualifies for Australian selection thanks to his father, who was born in Sydney
- Socceroos coach Graham Arnold flew out to Scotland to meet Boyle, a goalscoring winger who plays for Hibernian
- It's indicative of wider trend in world football
Australia faces South Korea this Saturday in Brisbane before a Sydney clash with Lebanon, and Hibernian pocket rocket Boyle could be in line for an appearance under new national coach Graham Arnold.
Boyle qualifies for Australian selection thanks to his father, who was born in Sydney, with the 25-year-old having spent his entire professional career in his native Scotland.
The speed merchant has recently acquired Australian citizenship after Arnold pressed Football Federation Australia (FFA) to do everything in its power to secure the Hibernian winger's services.
"My father was a big part of it, obviously making him proud with him being born here, and obviously it came about quite quickly, but he's proud of me and that's all that matters," Boyle said in Brisbane.
Boyle has made over 100 appearances for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian, regularly scoring goals from the wing.
His link-up play with striker Jamie Maclaren at Hibs has caught the eye, and with the recent season-ending injury to Daniel Arzani, Boyle's chances to feature against South Korea and Lebanon are on the up, while also increasing his chances for an Asian Cup call-up.
Describing himself as a hardworking, quick and direct player, Boyle said Arnold came out to Scotland personally after watching video clips of him.
"I'm just happy playing my club football and performing there at the moment and doing well, and obviously making the international squad. If I keep my form there, long may that continue," he said.
"It's happened very quickly, the last few months. Graham [Arnold] came out and spoke to me, [saying I] seemed like a player he wants in his squad. We bonded quite quickly.
"I like to carry the ball and get the ball in good positions. Having Jamie [Maclaren] in the team is quite good, because he's deadly in the box."
Foreign-born Socceroos
A selection of some high-profile players born elsewhere to don Australian colours:
- Paul Wade (England)
- Robbie Slater (England)
- Ange Postecoglou (Greece)
- Archie Thompson (New Zealand)
- Dario Vidosic (Croatia)
- Milos Degenek (Croatia)
- Daniel Arzani (Iran)
- Bernie Ibini (Nigeria)
- Nikita Rukavytsya (Ukraine/Soviet Union)
- Bruce Djite (USA)
Boyle has promised fans that he has committed the words of the national anthem to memory should he get the nod this weekend, adding he has followed the fortunes of the Socceroos from afar for some time.
"I knew quite a lot, watching all the tournaments back home with my father, discussing it," he said.
"Never in a million years did I think I'd get the opportunity. It's been a long road to get here, but it's happened so quick.
"I'm very honoured. I hugged my dad the other day, we shed a tear. He can't take time off work to come across, but I'm making him proud and that's all that matters.
"[I'm] just happy to make an appearance and show what I can do. As long as I step on that field, it won't matter where I'm playing, I'll give 100 per cent."
Boyle not the first, and he probably won't be the last
The notion of a player who has never set foot in the country he is about to represent in international football is not entirely new, and it is not the first time it has impacted the Socceroos.
Croatian right-back Fran Karacic, 22, was in contention to make Australia's FIFA World Cup squad earlier this year, and was named in the preliminary list of players by then-coach Bert van Marwijk after being tipped off by his assistant.
The Zagreb-born Karacic made one substitute appearance for Australia before missing the World Cup cut, having previously never set foot in Australia, and played all his football in Croatia. He qualified for Australian selection through his father, who was born in Sydney.
But while Boyle and Karacic's degree of separation from their national team's territory might be unique, it is reflective of a more wider movement in international football.
A number of international teams are increasingly fielding foreign-born players, reflecting the globalisation of football and increasing levels of migration around the world.
Morocco, thanks in part to its colonial links to France, fielded 17 foreign-born players in its 2018 World Cup squad, while Senegal, Switzerland, Tunisia and Portugal also had large groups of players born outside of their national territories.
France's World Cup winning squad was lauded during the tournament for his diversity, with 17 of its players born to first-generation migrants.
How does international eligibility work?
A player can represent one country at youth international level, and then another at senior level, provided they apply before they turn 21.
Otherwise, a player can play for another country if they satisfy one of these four FIFA conditions:
- They were born on the territory of the relevant association; or
- Their biological mother or father was born in the country; or
- Their grandmother or grandfather was born in the country; or
- They have lived continuously in the country for at least five years after reaching the age of 18
Appearances in friendly matches (as opposed to tournament appearances or tournament qualifiers) do not commit players to one country, either.
Australia's Apostolos Giannou played for Greece in a friendly in 2015 before making his Socceroos debut the following year.
Higher profile cases include Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa — Brazilian born — who featured in two friendlies for Brazil before declaring for the Spanish national team, and another Brazilian in Thiago Motta, who had three caps for Brazil before opting to play for Italy.
As a result, it is increasingly common to find players fielding requests from international coaches, bidding to convince them to opt for one country over another.
Getting the eligibility question wrong, however, can be costly for national associations. FIFA has banned national teams from World Cup qualification over the fielding of ineligible players, with Syria copping the harsh punishment during the 2014 campaign.
New Zealand also felt organisers' wrath during the 2015 Pacific Games, when Vanuatu protested the All Whites fielding Deklan Wynne, a South African-born player raised in New Zealand since childhood.
Wynne was 20 years old during the semi-final against Vanuatu — won 3-0 by New Zealand — but the island nation protested, arguing it was impossible for him to have lived in New Zealand for five years after the age of 18, given he was only 20.
The Oceania Football Confederation upheld the protest, disqualifying New Zealand and putting Vanuatu into the final.
[contf]
[contfnew]
ABC .net
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
