Dreams of adorning the famous dark blue strip or proudly wearing the lion rampant on your chest are amongst the most celebrated and cherished moments for any Scottish footballer.
A dream that deservedly became a reality for 24-year-old midfielder Louisa Boyes, who received her first-ever national team selection after being named in the 20-player shortlist for the Scotland under-23 squad.
Boyes joined fellow teammates Eilidh Austin and defender Jenna Penman on the flight to Spain, as the squad prepared to face Denmark and Portugal in a double-header of international friendlies.
“It’s an absolute honour,” Boyes said proudly.
“Being selected by your country is an absolute privilege and one I am certainly not taking for granted. My dream has always been to one day play for Scotland, and having not played at any previous international level, I wasn’t sure if that experience would ever come.
“It’s a really proud moment for my family, who were completely over the moon when I told them the news. Part of my decision to sign for Motherwell in 2023 was because of their strong record in developing young players, and giving them the platform to express themselves at a high level. This season alone, there have been nine of us in the Scotland team across under 17, 19, and 23 age categories.
“It’s really satisfying to see, as I know how hard they all work week to week, and I was absolutely delighted to join them.”
Boyes didn’t have to wait long for her first opportunity, as the versatile midfielder started in Scotland’s second game against Portugal, with Scotland emerging victorious after a penalty shootout following a goalless 90-minutes.
“It was a dream come true,” Boyes said excitedly.
“It was everything I’d imagined it would’ve been. You could instantly feel the standard and the tempo of playing at that level, but I felt I really grew into the game, and the squad were able to achieve a really positive result.
“I’m immensely proud to forever have that moment to look back on, and I’m hopeful that it’ll be the first of many to come in the future.”
The Bellshill-born central midfielder has continued to impress in claret and amber since lifting the 2023-24 Motherwell Women’s player of the year, scoring 12 in 24-appearances, surpassing her previous total of six in eight fewer appearances.
A stalwart of the Motherwell midfield, Boyes has yet to miss a single game this season, featuring on 25-occasions; starting in 24 of those. The number. 19 has played a vital role in Motherwell’s route to the National Stadium, netting in every round of the Scottish Cup against Rossvale, Bonnyrigg Rose and Boroughmuir Thistle, as Paul Brownlie’s side secured their Semi-Final place against Glasgow City later this month.
“It’s been a really strong season both personally and collectively as a team,” Boyes added.
“I set myself targets at the start of the season because I wanted to establish myself as a more consistent goal threat from midfield. After speaking to Paul at the start of the season, my position drifted forward, and I was able to play regularly in a more attacking area of the pitch. To surpass last season’s goal tally before the split had even started was a really proud feeling, especially having worked towards achieving those targets from the start of the season.
“To score and play my part in each round of our Scottish Cup campaign was really special. We’ve really wanted to get back to Hampden since our last Semi-Final in 2023, and we’ve had a perfect route to Hampden – netting 16-goals whilst keeping a clean sheet in all three games.
“For myself personally, having not featured in the previous Semi-Final against Rangers, I’m determined to perform to the highest standard in any game I’m called upon, and hopefully I’ll be able to play my part this time around.”
Motherwell will face their Semi-Final opponents in the SWPL when they return from the international break this weekend, and Boyes is keen for the squad to lay down a marker.
“It’ll be a great test for the full squad,” Boyes summarised.
“We have the capability to compete against the strongest teams in the league, and building up to the Semi-Final by facing these opponents in the country is the perfect preparation.
“We will head to Glasgow full of confidence that we can achieve a result, and hopefully lay down a marker for the Semi-Final at Hampden later this month.”
