Scottish Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with 164 goals set to join Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced the signing of Scottish forward Kris Boyd as a Designated Player. Boyd is the Scottish Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with 164 goals. Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson made the announcement.
Boyd, 28, is one of the most prolific strikers in Scottish football, scoring 164 goals in 296 appearances in the Scottish Premier League with clubs Kilmarnock FC (2000-05) and Rangers FC (2006-10). He netted 101 goals during his time with Rangers, and is a four-time winner of the SPL’s goal-scoring title. Boyd has been capped 18 times by the Scotland National Team.
Since 2000, Boyd has scored 176 goals in 335 career matches, playing in the top leagues of Scotland, England and Turkey. He will be added to the club’s roster pending the receipt of his P-1 Visa and the successful completion of a physical.
“I’ve said from the beginning, that we are committed to winning and will make a significant investment on the player front if it is the right fit for the organization,” said Timbers Owner and President Merritt Paulson. “Kris perfectly fits the profile of the team’s needs and will make a huge impact.”
A native of Irvine, Scotland, Boyd was Rangers’ top scorer in each of his five seasons with the club, tallying 20 or more goals in a season three times. He compiled his 101 goals with Rangers in 143 appearances. Boyd’s scoring prowess led Rangers to back-to-back Scottish Premier League championships in 2008-09 and 2009-10 as well as a pair of Scottish Cup (2007-08, 2008-09) and three Scottish League Cup titles (2006-07, 2008-09 and 2009-10).
“Kris is a proven goal-scorer at the highest levels of the game, and we expect that to continue here in Portland,” said John Spencer, head coach of the Timbers. “We’ve been looking for this type of traditional number nine player and are very pleased we found him.”
Boyd claimed the SPL’s scoring crown four times in five seasons, including the 2005-06 campaign in which he netted a career-high 32 goals while splitting time between Kilmarnock and Rangers. He shares the league’s record for goals in a single match with five, a feat he achieved twice during his career in the SPL.
“I’m delighted to be in Portland and hopefully I’ll be over as soon as the visa matches up to be in time to be ready for the season,” said Boyd.
With the Scotland National Team, Boyd has seven goals to his credit in 18 appearances. He scored twice in his debut Sept. 2, 2006, as part of Scotland’s 6-0 win over the Faroe Islands. Boyd has been called up for several international competitions, including a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier and several European Championship qualifiers. He’s also represented Scotland at the U-16, U-19 and U-21 levels.
Boyd made his professional debut as a teenager with Kilmarnock in 2000. He had a breakout season in 2002-03, scoring 12 times and winning the club’s Young Player of the Year. He was the club’s leading scorer for four straight seasons from 2002-05. In total, Boyd found the back of the net 63 times in 153 games with Kilmarnock before joining Rangers midway through the 2005-06 campaign.
With Rangers, Boyd also competed in Europe’s top club competitions – the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. He’s played eight career games the UEFA Champions League, facing the best clubs across Europe. Additionally, he has 11 appearances and three goals in Europa League play and helped Rangers reach that tournament’s final in 2007-08.
After 10 seasons in the SPL, Boyd made the move to England in 2010. He joined Middlesbrough for the 2010-11 season and scored six goals in 29 total appearances, which ranked among the club’s leading goal scorers. During the season, Boyd spent time with Nottingham Forrest on loan, adding six goals in 10 matches to help the side to the Championship’s promotion playoff.
Prior to joining the Timbers, Boyd played briefly with Eskişehirspor of the Turkish Süper Lig during the 2011-12 season.
