Liam Boyce (born 8 April 1991) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for League of Ireland Premier Division club Derry City and the Northern Ireland national team.
Boyce began his career at Cliftonville and returned to the club following a short spell at Werder Bremen II. He has since played for Ross County, Burton Albion and joined Heart of Midlothian in January 2020. Boyce made his debut for the Northern Ireland national team in February 2011.
Club career Cliftonville Boyce began his career at Cliftonville, scoring 19 goals in his debut season. He won the IFA Premiership Player of the Month Award for April 2010, and was named the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year for the 2009–10 season. Boyce is from the Lower Falls in Belfast. He played for Immaculata for most of his youth years, during this time he attended St Joseph's Primary School Slate Street and St Mary's Grammar School, located on the Glen Road in Belfast, he spent all his secondary school years there and went on to study A Levels.
He was spotted by Cliftonville, and they signed him. He spent his first year there playing in the reserves but in the 2009–10 season, Boyce became a first team regular.
Boyce went on trial with Scottish club Celtic in July 2010, and then held discussions in mid-August 2010 about a move to German club Greuther Fürth, but the move collapsed a few days later.
Boyce scored his first European goal against PFC CSKA Sofia in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League
Werder Bremen Boyce eventually signed for German club Werder Bremen on 31 August 2010. He was released by the German club in October 2011, having only made three appearances for the club's reserves side.
Return to Cliftonville Boyce rejoined Cliftonville in January 2012. In the 2012–13 season, he helped Cliftonville win the league title for the first time since 1998, finishing as the league's top scorer with 29 league goals. He was also named as the 2012–13 Ulster Footballer of the Year and Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year. He won a second league title with the north Belfast club in 2013–14, scoring another 21 league goals before, in July 2014, the club announced that it had withdrawn its offer of a new contract to Boyce. During this spell at the Reds, Boyce made eight appearances in European football, scoring once against Kalmar FF in the qualifiers of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.
Ross County On 13 June 2014, it was announced Boyce had signed a pre-contract with Ross County. On 13 April 2015, Boyce scored County's first ever top-flight hat-trick in a 3–0 win at St Mirren. He then enjoyed a prolific season in 2015–16, scoring 17 goals in 24 games. Boyce signed a new contract with County in February 2016. He was the top goalscorer in the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership, with 23 goals.
Burton Albion On 20 June 2017, Boyce became a club record signing for EFL Championship side Burton Albion, agreeing a three-year contract with the club. Just weeks later, in a pre-season friendly match against Shrewsbury Town, Boyce suffered a serious knee injury that would keep him out of action for most of the 2017–18 season. He returned to action on 3 February 2018, scoring as Burton lost 3–2 to Aston Villa. On 21 April, Boyce scored an injury-time winner that relegated Sunderland.
Heart of Midlothian Boyce signed for Heart of Midlothian in January 2020 on a three-and-a-half-year deal. He scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute of his debut against Rangers.
Derry City On 11 January 2025, Boyce signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club Derry City on a two-year contract. Boyce scored 11 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions, before his first season with the club was ended three months prematurely on 16 August 2025, following a hamstring injury in his side's FAI Cup exit at home to Drogheda United.
International career On 31 January 2011, Boyce received his debut call-up to the Northern Ireland national team for the Nations Cup. This call-up came after his move to German club Werder Bremen in September 2010. On 9 February 2011, Boyce made his debut against Scotland, when he came on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Niall McGinn. He received his second call-up for Northern Ireland's Group C match against Serbia in Belgrade on 25 March 2011.
On 2 June 2017, Boyce scored his first goal for Northern Ireland in a 1–0 friendly victory over New Zealand at Windsor Park.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsCliftonville2008–09NIFL Premiership151–1512009–103416–34162010–1131——41–72Total521841–5619Werder Bremen II 2010–113. Liga30—–——30Cliftonville2011–12NIFL Premiership1311000–411822012–1336294043212148342013–143621004220—4223Total85515085416210859Ross County2014–15Scottish Premiership30101021——33112015–1635152154——42202016–1734232140——4024Total994852115——11555Burton Albion2017–18Championship1630000——1632018–19League One37111162—1045142019–202582145—103314Total782232107—209431Heart of Midlothian2019–20Scottish Premiership722000——922020–21Scottish Championship25142210—0028162021–22Scottish Premiership31105254——41162022–2351000020—712023–24151002040—2112024–25100001040—150Total93289494100—12136Derry City2025LOI Premier Division24823———26112026LOI Premier Division6100—110072Total30923—11003313Career total4401762411382019382529213
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsNorthern Ireland201140201530201610201721201870201940202061202110Total282
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.
+ International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competitionNo.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition12 June 2017 Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland 9 1–0 1–0 Friendly218 November 2020 Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland 27 1–0 1–1 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B
Honours Cliftonville Irish Premiership: 2012–13, 2013–14 Irish League Cup: 2012–13, 2013–14 County Antrim Shield: 2008–09, 2011–12
Ross County Scottish League Cup: 2015–16
Hearts Scottish Championship: 2020–21 Scottish Cup runner-up: 2019–20, 2021–22
Individual 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 Scottish Championship
References
External links
Profile at Irish FA