Boyle on what Hibs need from next managerial appointment

How's it been for the players, losing a second manager in a season?

“It’s not ideal. I’ve been here many times, it’s never nice, now we’re in this situation again, someone else losing their job…again.

“Ultimately you have to take responsibility and that’s been driven home this week.

“It’s not nice, he’s a good man, he moved over and he has lost his job.

“Wednesday was a positive result but we know Sunday wasn’t acceptable.

“We’re happy the season is coming to an end so we can regroup and rebuild and go again."

Is the overriding feeling just getting things over with?

“In my eyes, yeah. It’s a nice feeling scoring goals again but at the same time it has been a stop-start season for me personally and I would quite like to see the back of it.

“The majority of the fans will feel the same, it has not been great."

There was a lot of positivity last summer... What happened?!

“I can’t put my finger on it, it was positive.

“We had a tricky start to the season, games we believe we should have won.

“We played in Europe in between and maybe fatigue crept in early.

“That’s no excuse. We should have been more prepared than we were for the league.

“But we just couldn’t get going. We were inconsistent, we lost games we felt we should have been winning and we dropped too many points.

“We know that’s unacceptable, we had our goals at the start of the season about where we wanted to be.

“But we didn’t manage to kick on."

Do you feel that your own performances haven't been good enough?

“It hasn’t been good enough from me, driving the standards every day. The belief I have in myself has not been good.

“I’ll be glad to see the back of this season personally. I didn’t have much of a pre-season, I’d like to get a real good one this time.

“I didn’t get any games under my belt coming into the season and didn’t feel up to speed.

“I have been slogging along which has not been good for myself. There have been a few games where I have showed moments.

“But between concussion, the Asian Cup in between, a few niggles with my knee it has been stop-start.

“No excuses, I know I need to perform every week.

“Hopefully I can go again pre-season and have a good season next year."

Are you going to be one of the main men now Lewis and Paul are going?

“I’m disappointed to see them go but this is probably where the penny will drop for me in my career.

“I have to step up and finally get into that leadership and really drive standards every day.

“Those two were great role models and professionals around the place and they’re moving on.

“I think it’s time for myself and Joe Newell to step up and show that example to the rest of the group.

“That could help me. It’s always there at the back of my mind, I can do it, I can be that guy.

“The other two being here takes a bit of the pressure off me, but now it’s time to really step up. 

"We’re the longest-serving people at the club now and we need to drive home what it means to play for a big club like this.

“We have to instil that into next season."

It's up to you, Chris Cadden, and Joe Newell to pick up where Paul and Lewis left off in terms of 'getting' the club...

“Paul and Stevo’s legacy will be here but we’ll have to have that sit down and get everyone on board and really drive those standards and expectations and stress what it means to play for a massive club like this.

“I keep hearing when this place is bouncing there is no better place to play football."

There are different ways of leading, surely you're not going to become all serious?!

“I have that joking and silliness about me, I have always had that, that’s the kind of character I am.

“But when I cross the line it’s serious and I know exactly what it means to play for this club.

“I am always trying to help people, I’m maybe not as demanding as others.

“But I am more than ready to step up and take that leadership role.

“I am getting older and wiser and hopefully I can continue to do that."

As a player, what do you look for in a manager?

“I have worked under a fair few here and I haven’t got a bad thing to say about all of the managers I have had here.

“In fact, I probably have a lot of apologising to do because it didn’t work out and they ended up not staying as long as they would have wanted to.

“They’ve all been positive. Man management these days is a big thing and driving those standards and being nasty when you need to be.

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“And there have been items this season when we needed that nasty streak in us and we just didn’t have it.

“Hopefully the next manager who comes in will have a long term run with the club.

“We desperately need stability and to get the trust back with the fans. We’ve lost that over the last few months.

“The fans pay a lot of money to support us and we’re not giving them the results.

“It ruins their weekend and it ruins ours as well, we know it has not been good enough. We need to get back to the performances we know we’re capable of."

What's it like working under David Gray?

“Dave is great, he totally gets everything about that club. He’s very passionate in the way he speaks and great around the place.

“He’s stepped up since he has taken that coaching role. He had those leadership roles when he was player and captain here.

“He drives standards every day. He’s a little quieter when he has not been in that manager role.

“But when he has stepped up into that interim job he’s done great. His record is good and everyone backs him when we step on that pitch.

“We’ll have to see what happens but in my eyes he is great."

What does the break look like - do you have international games?

“I have two World Cup qualifiers in Bangladesh and Perth in Australia so I’ll leave on May 28. I’ll get next week off and go on holiday with the family and after that head for the internationals.

“Then we’ll see what happens. I’ll get a break this week and then I’m sure I’ll get some extended time to get my focus back on things.

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“I was unfortunate not to get a proper pre-season last year, I never got a holiday or anything like that because I gave up my summer to get back to where I was.

“So hopefully I’ll get a break, clear the mind and really look forward to getting back.”