The old Kris Boyd vs Henrik Larsson debate was always an absurd one, but Steven Naismith has managed to compare the two again.
Boyd took the decision yesterday to hang up his boots (BBC). He brought to an end an 18-year professional career that started and ended with Kilmarnock.
There’s no denying Boyd was a clearly talented finisher. During his prime at Rangers, he managed to bag a fine 115 goals for the Ibrox club. He also broke Henrik Larsson’s record as top Scottish Premier League goalscorer back in 2009, albeit many like to forget Boyd managed it having played significantly played more games than the King.
It’s that stat and that stat alone which has allowed Boyd to be credited in the same sentence as Larsson. But speaking in the Daily Record, Naismith had this to say about his former team-mate.
“All the way through his career, people have spoken about him not doing this or that but every goal he has scored in Scotland has been the equivalent to every other top goalscorer.
“Your Larssons and McCoists. Every other top striker. His tally stacks up just as big as theirs does. Just because he doesn’t have the flair of a player like Larsson, people have an opinion on it but I said for years that if you had Boydy in your team, you always had a chance to score. I always felt like that.
“Boydy’s record speaks for itself and he’ll get more credit the longer it gets after he retires.”
Not even comparable
We know he’s your mate Steven, you don’t need to go over the top.
Boyd’s record as a goalscorer simply doesn’t stack up to what Larsson’s does. That’s just a fact, and you simply need to glance at the stats to prove it.
Boyd, throughout his entire career, notched 293 goals at club level. The majority of those came in Scotland, as he failed to make an impression in England, the USA, or Turkey respectively. Larsson, meanwhile, managed to achieve well over 300, and did it at the likes of Celtic, Barcelona, and with plenty of those goals at the highest level in Europe.
Larsson also gathered 106 caps for Sweden throughout his career. Boyd, meanwhile, managed just 18 for Scotland with seven goals to his name. Larsson bagged 37 goals whilst playing in SIX major international tournaments.
Naismith’s point is likely just about Boyd’s goals in Scotland. He clearly feels that when it comes to putting the ball in the net, Boyd is just every bit as good as Larsson. But the levels they both managed it at proves that’s not the case.
All you had to do with Boyd was make him face Celtic and his boots turned into flip-flops. He had his limit when it came to the quality of opposition, whilst Larsson could score against anyone.
Regardless, we’re preaching to the converted here. At least now, with Boyd’s retirement, the ridiculous comparisons between himself and Larsson can end permanently.
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