Liam Boyce facts for kids
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Boyce playing for the Northern Ireland national team in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Liam Boyce | ||
| Date of birth | 8 April 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Derry City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008–2010 | Cliftonville | 52 | (18) |
| 2010–2011 | Werder Bremen II | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Cliftonville | 85 | (51) |
| 2014–2017 | Ross County | 99 | (48) |
| 2017–2020 | Burton Albion | 78 | (22) |
| 2020–2025 | Heart of Midlothian | 93 | (28) |
| 2025– | Derry City | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Northern Ireland U19 | 6 | (1) |
| 2010–2012 | Northern Ireland U21 | 9 | (0) |
| 2011–2021 | Northern Ireland | 28 | (2) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Liam Boyce (born April 8, 1991) is a professional footballer from Northern Ireland. He plays as a forward, which means he's a goal-scorer, for League of Ireland Premier Division club Derry City. He also plays for the Northern Ireland national team.
Liam started his football journey at Cliftonville. After a short time playing in Germany, he returned to Cliftonville. He has also played for Ross County, Burton Albion, and Heart of Midlothian. Liam made his first appearance for the Northern Ireland national team in February 2011.
Contents
Liam Boyce's Club Career
Early Days at Cliftonville
Liam Boyce began his career at Cliftonville, a club in Northern Ireland. In his very first season, he scored 19 goals, showing he was a talented player. He was even named the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year for the 2009–10 season.
Liam grew up in Belfast and played for a youth team called Immaculata. He went to St Joseph's Primary School and St Mary's Grammar School. Cliftonville noticed his talent and signed him. After playing for their reserve team, he became a regular player for the first team in the 2009–10 season.
Playing in Germany: Werder Bremen
In August 2010, Liam signed with a German club called Werder Bremen. However, his time there was short. He only played three games for their reserve team before leaving the club in October 2011.
Back to Cliftonville
Liam returned to Cliftonville in January 2012. This was a very successful period for him. In the 2012–13 season, he helped Cliftonville win the league title for the first time since 1998. He was also the top scorer in the league with 29 goals.
Because of his great performance, he won two big awards: the Ulster Footballer of the Year and the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year. He won another league title with Cliftonville in 2013–14, scoring 21 more goals.
Success at Ross County
On June 13, 2014, Liam signed with Ross County, a club in Scotland. On April 13, 2015, he made history for the club by scoring their first-ever hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a top-flight match.
The 2015–16 season was fantastic for Liam. He scored 17 goals in 24 games. He signed a new contract with Ross County in February 2016. He continued to be a top scorer, leading the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership with 23 goals.
Time at Burton Albion
On June 20, 2017, Liam became the most expensive player ever bought by EFL Championship team Burton Albion. He signed a three-year contract. However, soon after joining, he got a serious knee injury during a friendly game. This kept him out for most of the 2017–18 season.
He made his return on February 3, 2018, scoring a goal in a game against Aston Villa. On April 21, Liam scored a winning goal in injury time that caused Sunderland to be relegated from the league.
Joining Heart of Midlothian
In January 2020, Liam signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Heart of Midlothian, also known as Hearts. He made a great start, scoring the winning goal in the 83rd minute of his very first game against Rangers.
Moving to Derry City
On January 11, 2025, Liam Boyce signed a two-year contract with League of Ireland Premier Division club Derry City. This marks his return to playing in Ireland.
Playing for Northern Ireland
Liam Boyce first joined the Northern Ireland national team on January 31, 2011. He made his debut on February 9, 2011, coming on as a substitute against Scotland.
On June 2, 2017, Liam scored his first goal for Northern Ireland. It was in a friendly match against New Zealand at Windsor Park, and his goal helped Northern Ireland win 1–0. He scored his second international goal on November 18, 2020, in a UEFA Nations League match against Romania.
Awards and Achievements
Liam Boyce has won several awards and titles throughout his career:
With Cliftonville:
- Irish Premiership: 2012–13, 2013–14
- Irish League Cup: 2012–13, 2013–14
- County Antrim Shield: 2008–09, 2011–12
With Ross County:
- Scottish League Cup: 2015–16
With Hearts:
- Scottish Championship: 2020–21
- Scottish Cup runner-up: 2019–20, 2021–22
Individual Awards:
- Ulster Footballer of the Year: 2012–13
- NIFWA Player of the Year: 2012–13
- Scottish Premiership Top Scorer: 2016–17
- Scottish Championship Top Scorer: 2020–21
- PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year: 2020–21
