Who is Boaz Myhill?

Last year, we had four goalkeepers on our books.
We had the promising Jack Butland, who plays for England (previously U16 and U17 level, but now at U19 level) and was voted Young Player of the Season in 2010.

We had Colin Doyle, who has one full Republic of Ireland cap.

We had Ben Foster, who is pretty much everyone’s choice of England number two. I’d push for England’s number one, but it’s academic, now that he’s retired temporarily from international football!

We finally had Maik Taylor, our stalwart keeper, saviour of many a point, and still Northern Ireland’s national keeper.

This season, we released Maik, given his age, and a rumoured injury, this was fair enough.  Cutting our cloth accordingly, three keepers should be more than enough. 

Then, however, we decide to “cash in” on Ben Foster.  To some, our most saleable asset.  It was a relief to my mind that we were simply loaning him out.  He gets Premiership football, we get to retain the services of the best keeper around.  It’s a pity we couldn’t see his effectiveness in the Championship but we had Colin Doyle, who has already proven himself at that level.  I’d say he was given a raw deal in the Premiership, but this article is about Myhill, so I won’t go into that.  Doyle proved his ‘loyalty’ by signing a one year contract extension after we were relegated.  You’d have to imagine he foresaw the departure of Taylor and Foster, and wanted to grab his chance in the Championship.  Who could blame him?

Then, bizarrely some may think, we decided to ‘go over Doyle’s head’ and bring Myhill in.  The maths make sense, we still had three ‘keepers to choose from in a hectic future timetable.  If we only had Doyle and Butland, we couldn’t possibly hope to cope with injury or suspension.  Still, it appears as though Doyle’s ‘loyalty’ has gone unrewarded.  Surely, come Derby kick off, Doyle’s loyalty and the departure of Taylor and Foster (and after having had to sit out Joe Hart’s tenure) meant he would be wearing the number one jersey?

The publication of our squad numbers however, granted Myhill the number one shirt.  This doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but Myhill’s debut in the friendly against Everton (Myhill was broadly criticised for mistakes leading to letting in both goals) certainly suggests Myhill will be the one keeping goal against Derby, and thereafter Coventry.  Perhaps Doyle isn’t rated as highly by Hughton?  Perhaps Hughton wants ‘his own’ signing to be in the team?  Perhaps Hughton just felt Doyle needed a kick up the bottom?  Either way, the alleged response from Mrs Doyle on ‘Facebook‘ (perhaps her previously attributed rant on Doyle’s night time antics on Twitter means she needs to give up social media comment on her husband’s career, or perhaps makes us tread with caution before accepting either or both are truly her own work?) is as follows:-

“Do I hope they loose (sic) today (Everton friendly)……….hell yes. Do I hope we leave …………. Hell yes. Ten years at a club to be sh*t on yet again.”

 I don’t subscribe to the theory that Colin Doyle has been sh*t on, as some would point out, he’s been paid rather handsomely to do what most season ticket holders can only dream of doing. Watching every match from the bench, and pull on the jersey on the odd occasion he’s been called upon to do so.  25 appearances in eight years isn’t what a professional footballer truly wants, though, and if he felt he had the chance to build on that this year, if he feels he won’t have that opportunity, you do have to feel for him, paid handsomely or not.  I just feel Hughton may have been in a position where he saw the opportunity to replace Foster, have Foster’s £1.5m wages paid for a year, and get a £750k wage bill keeper for free…and not been able to turn it down…so just who IS Boaz Myhill?

Interestingly, he is commonly known as Boaz, but his “real” name is Glyn Oliver Myhill.  He is 28 years old, a couple of years older than Colin Doyle and is another member of the ‘ex Villa crew’.  He started his professional career with the Villans in 2000, letting in 5 goals on his professional league debut in 2002 whilst on loan at Bradford.  He made his name by moving to Hull (for a paltry £50k) in 2003, where he stayed for seven years.  During this time, he kept goal as Hull progressed from League Two to the Premiership, being one of only four players at the club to play in all tiers of the league.  He missed only two league games from 2004-2006, and totted up 250 appearances for Hull.

Signing for a touted £1.5m in July of last year, and signing a three year deal, it’s curious to see how his stock at the club has fallen so low, as to be sent out to a Championship side so soon.  In fact, while it’s understandable Ben Foster would take his place, it is odd that West Bromwich Albion left themselves so short on goalkeepers, having also released Scott Carson, they’re having to source an immediate replacement.  Perhaps this rather unfortunate goal sealed his fate with Roy Hodgson?

Born of American and Welsh parents, he was actually involved in the England U20 side, but eventually opted to play for the Welsh national side, perhaps in deference to his Welsh mother, perhaps as he was more likely to be capped?  You decide!  He’s made 20 appearances for Wales, but is usually second behind Wayne Hennessey on the team sheet.

Myhill has recently been quoted as saying he was glad to have the opportunity at Blues to ‘step out of the shadows’,
“I was a bit unhappy at letting two goals in (against Everton) but it’s something I will take on board and work on during the week.”

“It’s pre-season, that’s what it’s for, to get all the little mistakes out of the way,” he added.

 Read More from the Birmingham Mail 

Colin Doyle may have every right to be aggrieved, but competition can only be healthy and I for one will support Chris Hughton in making the right decision to start the best man in goal against Derby.  Myhill and Doyle both certainly have the experience of fighting at the top of the Championship, and I will support whichever of our keepers find themselves in goal in all tournaments this season.  I wonder if Jack Butland will find himself start many matches this year?  That would be another article.

Welcome, Boaz, and Keep Right On!