Liam Boyce has unique hat-trick in his sights after making switch to Derry City
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And yet at 33 years of age the bustling striker is as hungry as ever to achieve success and personal targets with Derry City with a unique hat-trick on the cards.
The Belfast man who has been capped 28 times for Northern Ireland, completed his high profile switch from Scottish Premiership club Hearts on Saturday, joining the Candy Stripes on a two-year deal.
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Hide AdHe scored 36 goals in 124 appearances for the Edinburgh outfit and he's got himself a real incentive to continue on the goal trail for his new club.


Boyce's goal heroics for Cliftonville in 2012/13 earned him the Irish Premiership's golden boot award after he plundered 29 goals for the Solitude men.
His goalscoring form earned him a move to Scotland with Ross County where he finished on top of the SPL goalscoring charts ahead of Celtic trio Scott Sinclair [21], Moussa Dembele [17] and Stuart Armstrong [15] with a 23 goal haul during the 2016/17 campaign.
And after his eyebrow-raising switch to the League of Ireland with Derry, Boyce now has the top goalscorer gong south of the border locked in his sights to complete what would be a sensational feat across three separate top divisions.
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Hide AdThe chance to join the small band of footballers to win both the Irish League and League of Ireland is another challenge which has whetted the West Belfast man's appetite.


"I'm trying to collect them all," he laughed when asked if the golden boot award was a personal target.
"I haven't even thought of that [winning league titles north and south] but 100 per cent it would be a nice incentive," said Boyce who won back-to-back Gibson Cups with Cliftonville.
"The League of Ireland, I've always watched it. I was actually just saying that to 'Fats' [Patrick McEleney], that I've seen every one of his goals this past 10 years.
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Hide Ad"Anywhere I've played I would watch the games. All the Irish League goals, the Burton Albion goals, the Scottish goals and the League of Ireland goals because I know a lot of the players.


"So I've seen how good the league is. I'll not be going into it expecting it to be easier. I know it's going to be difficult and to be fair both leagues have gotten better over the last load of years.
"So I know how difficult it's going to be. The levels are probably higher than they ever have been back home."
His game isn't just about scoring goals, however, with his workrate, movement in the box and ability to occupy defenders making him a key asset for Tiernan Lynch's troops.
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Hide AdHearts youngster James Wilson has been reaping the benefits of playing alongside Boyce in recent games for the ‘Jambos’ and Derry's new hitman is hoping to have a similar impact with his new teammates at Brandywell.
"It just kind of came naturally, I always try to help the team and anyone in any way I can.
"That sort of comes naturally and it's probably grown more the older I've got. You just want to help them as much as you can and the quicker they learn that the better it will be for them.
"Hopefully I can do that with all the young boys at Derry, I just play football to win and if it takes me helping a few young boys, even if they end up starting ahead of me if we win , fair enough that's what we'll do."
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Hide AdHe'll be hoping to strike up a partnership with the likes of Danny Mullen or Pat Hoban and he's shown the ability to play as a No.9 or a little deeper as a foil for an attacking teammate.
"When I was at Cliftonville I would've done that," [played deeper]. "It's whatever the manager sees and whatever strengths the other strikers we have in the team have. When I was at Cliftonville Joe Gormley who was all goals and ran in behind so I was the one to go and help.
"When I went to Ross County it was 4-4-2 and they were crossing it so I learned to stay in the box and get across at the front post.
"At Hearts when we were in the Championship we were playing a 4-4-3 and I had to stay up front and try and get the back men to drop and create space for the midfielders.
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Hide Ad"I did that and wee James obviously is young and rapid and so you try and play to their strengths. I'm comfortable playing either way and don't really have a preference. Just whatever I need to do. I would play right back if I needed to," he smiled.
Family played a major role in Boyce's decision to move to Foyleside despite offers from SPL clubs to stay in Scotland.
While his wife Leoncha, son Scout and daughter Ziggy will remain at their Edinburgh home until the kids finish school for summer, the Boyce family felt it was time to come home after years on the road.
"It's easy for me but it's harder for my wife who has to be over here and deal with everything on her own but she's brilliant to be fair.
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Hide Ad"I'm absolutely buzzing. I think we did Belfast to Derry in an hour and 10 minutes the other day so it's not too far from home.
"I think when you're back home anything longer than half an hour is a day trip isn't it. Over here when you're living in Ross County it's like going to the shops so it's not that big of a distance," he joked.
It wasn't an easy decision to uproot his family again but chats with Lynch, who made him feel wanted, ultimately sealed the deal.
"There were three or four teams and one of the teams got really close. They were offering me two years as well. I wanted to be settled but Tiernan pushed it over the line.
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Hide Ad"I would've had to move my daughter school and then move school again in two years. Basically, in the end Tiernan was a lot more interested.
"I just want to feel wanted wherever I am. Tiernan did that by far the most and that was the bottom line. I just want to feel valued and feel like I can help the team and the manager believing in me that I can help the team.
"It was massive. The way he is. He's a family man like I am. That's what I play football for - my family. And when I talked to him and heard what he wanted to do. I know he has high standards from Larne and I've already seen the sort of things he wants to put in place when he was talking to me in Derry.
"It's all positive and seeing what he did at Larne, why wouldn't you want to be a part of the next one on a bigger scale in a new league with new things to experience.
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Hide Ad"We're all excited. It will be my first game and his first season so we're all chomping at the bit and it's something I really wanted to be a part of."
He's played in the Setanta Cup against Dundalk, Cork City and Shamrock Rovers but never at Brandywell. He's heard plenty about special match nights at Brandywell and wants to play his part in those memorable moments in front of the City fans.
"I can't wait. That's the best thing. I can always remember Darren McCauley, Michael McCrudden, I used to play with all those boys when I was younger and they all loved Derry.
"And even yesterday, Davy McDaid, I'd be quite close to him. He was one of the first people to message me and said I would be absolutely buzzing, it's an unbelievable place to play in. Just get the head down and they'll look after you.
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Hide Ad"If players that are messaging me saying it's good and that's after they've left the club as well, if they only have good things to say then I just can't wait to be a part of it. I've seen all the highlights. Late goals at Brandywell and I know how good it's going to be so hopefully it's me scoring them."