Hibs star Martin Boyle’s World Cup dreams are over.
The 33-year-old attacker along with fellow forward Brandon Borrello, former Hearts defender Kye Rowles and goalkeeper Joe Gauci were the four players cut from the Socceroos’s squad.
For Boyle, it’s the second time he will miss out on the World Cup after being picked in the squad for the 2022 edition in Qatar, only to be ruled out due to a knee injury on the eve of the tournament.
“Left it all out there. Heart & soul,” he wrote on Instagram, along with a heart emoji.
He also jokingly teased he will set his sights on the next World Cup in 2030 when he will be 37.
“Here’s to 2030,” he added with an old man emoji.
Boyle played a key role in helping the Socceroos qualify for this year’s World Cup, setting up the winning goal in a 2-1 triumph over Saudi Arabia that clinched Australia’s spot.
Head coach Tony Popovic said: “Look, I’m not going to go into how he took the news. That’s a private conversation that we had,”
“But look, he knows he’s played an important role in getting here.”
Popovic added that sitting down with the omitted players had proved a difficult process.
“Those discussions are never easy, and there’s no perfect way to give someone that type of news.
“Once they hear the news, how much they hear after that, I’m not sure really, in terms of whatever I say after that can be a blur to most of them.
“But they hear the news they don’t want to hear, and that’s the news that I have to give them.
“(They are) wonderful young men, professionals, have played a part in our journey in helping us qualify for the World Cup
“So it’s tough for them, and they need to process that.”
Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin has been included in the squad along with former Hibs player Jackson Irvine.
The squad is as follows:
Patrick Beach (GK)*, Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos*, Cameron Burgess*, Alessandro Circati*, Milos Degenek, Cameron Devlin, Jason Geria*, Lucas Herrington*, Ajdin Hrustic, Nestory Irankunda*, Jackson Irvine, Jacob Italiano*, Paul Izzo (GK)*, Mathew Leckie, Awer Mabil, Connor Metcalfe*, Paul Okon-Engstler*, Aiden O’Neill*, Mat Ryan (GK), Harry Souttar, Mohamed Toure*, Kai Trewin*, Nishan Velupillay*, Cristian Volpato*, Tete Yengi*
* First World Cup selection
