Rachael Boyle

Rachael Boyle
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-12-20) 20 December 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Aberdeen, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Hibernian
Number 23
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Aberdeen
2010–2013 Forfar Farmington
2013–2016 Aberdeen
2016– Hibernian
International career‡
2007–2008 Scotland U17
2008–2010 Scotland U19
2010– Scotland 43 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:37, 11 May 2017 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 05:01, 11 June 2021 (UTC)

Rachael Boyle (née Small; born 20 December 1991) is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays as midfielder for Hibernian in the Scottish Women's Premier League.

Career

Boyle grew up in Aberdeen and represented Scotland at schools' level in 2005 while a pupil at Northfield Academy.[1] She later progressed through the national under-17 and under-19 squads, captaining the latter in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship finals in Macedonia.[2] She made her full debut for the Scotland women's team in July 2010 against Poland.[3]

At club level, Boyle began with her hometown team, Aberdeen Ladies before moving to Forfar Farmington in 2010.[4] She also attended the Scottish FA's North Regional Football Academy in Aberdeen.[3]

In July 2013, Boyle returned to Aberdeen after Forfar failed to make the top six at the SWPL mid-season split.[5]

Boyle joined Hibernian Ladies in July 2016, with her fiancé Martin Boyle playing for the Edinburgh club's men's side at the same time.[6] After winning the Scottish Women's Cup in 2016[7] and 2017,[8] and the SWPL Cup in 2017,[9] she missed much of the 2018 season due to pregnancy, and gave birth to a daughter in September 2018.[10] She and Martin Boyle married in June 2019.[11]

She was recalled to the Scotland squad in November 2019.[12]

Due to the upheaval it would cause to their daughter, Rachael opted to stay in Edinburgh when Martin left Hibs to play in Saudi Arabia in January 2022.[13]

Boyle returned to play well in February 2022,a year after the birth of a daughter. She scored twice for Hibs and played two games before she damaged her anterior cruciate ligament. She was still at home in March 2024 complaining that she had not played for so long.[14]

Career statistics

International appearances

As of the match played on 11 April 2023[15]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 2010 1 0
2011 8 0
2012 17 0
2013 2 0
2014 —
2015 —
2016 —
2017 1 0
2018 2 0
2019 —
2020 6 0
2021 6 0
Total 43 0

References

  1. ^ "SSFA U15 Girl Internationalists". Scottish Football Association. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Small walking tall for Scotland". UEFA. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Rachael Small – Women's A Squad". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Small contribution brings double boost". Women's Soccer Scene. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  5. ^ Campbell, Alan (24 July 2013). "Robison targets level playing field for women". The Herald. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Dons star defender Rachael Small off to Hibs". Evening Express. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Hibernian Ladies win the Scottish Cup". Hibernian FC. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Hibs hammer Glasgow City to 3–0 win Scottish Cup final". BBC Sport. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  9. ^ Southwick, Andrew (21 May 2017). "SWPL Cup: Hibernian cruise to victory over Celtic to retain trophy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Rachael Small on the cover of The Hibee". Hibernian FC. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Hibs winger Martin Boyle ties the knot with fellow Easter Road star Rachael Small". Edinburgh Evening News. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  12. ^ Cryle, Ryan (25 October 2019). "Boyle joins fellow north-east representatives Corsie and Little in Scotland squad for Euro 2021 qualifier". Evening Express. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Rachael Boyle staying at Hibs as husband Martin Boyle goes to Saudi Arabia to set family up for life". Edinburgh Evening News. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Hibernian: Rachael Boyle on injury, children and staying strong". BBC Sport. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  15. ^ Rachael Boyle at the Scottish Football Association