Hibs: Kieron Bowie’s rise to fame from public park to World Cup dream

Bowie, who won his first two caps for Scotland last year, was a late bloomer.

“I played for a team called Real Fife from ten – I think I started playing quite late, nine or ten, and after that, I moved to Glenrothes Strollers, which a few of my mates played for, and one of their fathers joined the team,” he says.

“It was different, to be honest. At Real Fife in Kirkcaldy, we just played in the park. Literally.

“Everyone has their own way of achieving success in the game, and it’s different for other people. People go through pro-youth academies and so on, people go through grassroots clubs like me.

“Everyone has a different way, and if everyone did it the same way, it would be boring, wouldn’t it?”

Boye’s path to the top also took a detour to London and time on the wings before he made the striker role his own following his move to Hibs 18 months ago.

After leaving Rovers for Fulham in 2020, he was loaned out to Northampton Town, where he played out of position.

“I was never a straight forward,” Bowie explains. “I played on the wing when I was at Northampton on loan for two seasons, playing almost 100 games. Imagine me on the wing, this tall lad just running around.

“Then I came here and they were like, ‘We see you as a number nine.’ Just to instill that belief in me, playing as a number nine and obviously I’m still young, fairly young, learning my trade. So hopefully I can do as much as I can and progress.”