Liam Miller
Encyclopedia
William Peter "Liam" Miller (born 13 February 1981) is an Irish
footballer who plays for Perth Glory
in the A-League
. Miller began his career with Celtic
; at an early stage after injury he was loan
ed to Aarhus
in 2001, making 18 appearances for the Danish Superliga
club. He returned to Celtic Park and broke into the first team squad during the 2003–04 season. Rejecting the offer of a new contract from Celtic, he joined Manchester United
in 2004 on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling
. Loaned to Leeds United during the 2005–06
season, Miller only made 22 first team appearances for Manchester United.
In 2006, he joined Sunderland, but was linked with a move away from the club because of alleged timekeeping issues. He joined Queens Park Rangers
in January 2009, but was released at the end of the 2008–09 season. Miller joined Hibernian
at the start of the 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season, again on a free transfer. He moved to Australia
n A-League club Perth Glory
in 2011 after his contract with Hibernian expired. Miller represents the Republic of Ireland
team internationally, making his debut in 2004 against the Czech Republic
.
, Ireland. He attended Coachford College
. In a web chat, Miller revealed that family has been his largest influence in football, and that Martin O'Neill
and Sir Alex Ferguson
were also influential to his career. Miller is married and has one son.
in 1997 as a youth player, and made his professional league debut against Dundee United
on 21 May 2000. His UEFA Cup
debut came against Luxembourg
-based club Jeunesse Esch
on 24 August 2000 in a 7–0 win, and came close to scoring in the 64th minute. During his time at Celtic Park
, he had been on a six-month loan spell with Danish football club AGF Aarhus during the 2001–02 season, making 18 appearances without scoring a goal. They considered signing him permanently for £300,000.
His first Scottish Premier League
goals came in a 5–0 win over Hearts
on 18 October 2003; his first goal came after nine minutes when Stilian Petrov drilled the ball in low and Miller finished it off, and completed the scoring in the 50th minute with five-yard finish. Miller scored a goal in a 2–0 Champions League win against Lyon
; Martin O'Neill
then offered him a long-term contract, attempting to keep Miller at the club. Despite this, Miller signed a pre-contract agreement in January 2004 with Manchester United
. This move greatly disappointed Martin O'Neill, who had intended to build a new Celtic team around Miller. According to Irish Abroad, "His departure from the Glasgow giants, after only 26 appearances for the Bhoys, led to outrage among the club's supporters who perceived Miller to be showing a distinct lack of loyalty considering the Celts' support of him through long-term injury."
for free on 1 July 2004, and scored his first goal for the club on 26 October 2004 against Crewe Alexandra
in the League Cup
. After the start of his career for the Red Devils, he found first-team opportunities rare towards the end of the 2004–05
season. In his entire time at the club he made only 22 first-team appearances. Miller later commented that "Man Utd didn't work out but I have no regrets about giving it a go."
In July 2006, The Telegraph
reported that Miller would be allowed to leave Manchester United, should the Red Devils receive a suitable offer. It was made clear that Miller was not part of Alex Ferguson
's plans when, despite the huge number of senior players missing, he was still only a substitute in the opening game of the Red Devils' tour of South Africa
against Orlando Pirates on 16 July 2006. On 31 August 2006, he moved to Sunderland
for free on a three-year deal, joining up with new Sunderland manager and former team-mate Roy Keane
. He left Manchester United after playing just nine league games in two seasons.
on loan for three months, though this was later extended to the end of the 2005–06
season. He scored one goal during his time at Leeds, the winning goal in the 4–3 away win against Southampton
on 19 November 2005 and helped Leeds to reach the Championship
play-off final with a 3–1 on aggregate
over Preston North End
. Miller featured in the play off final. However, Leeds failed to overcome Watford
; they were beaten 3–0 and so missed out on promotion to the Premier League. During his time at Elland Road
, he had scored one goal in 28 games.
Miller made his debut for Sunderland in a 2–1 win over Derby County
on 9 September 2006 at the Stadium of Light
, and scored his first goal in the following game against Leeds United on 13 September 2006 in a 3–0 win shooting across the goalkeeper from 14 yards.
On 6 January 2007, he was sent off by referee Iain Williamson in the 37th minute of an FA Cup
match against Preston North End
, after receiving his second yellow card for a foul on David Nugent
; Sunderland went on to lose the match 1–0. He scored his first Premier League goal for Sunderland
on 22 September 2007 against North-East rivals Middlesbrough
in the 89th minute with a 20 yard left-footed shot. He was sent off for the second time in his Sunderland career by Peter Walton
; against Chelsea
on 8 December 2007 for a push on Claudio Pizarro
. Sunderland went on to lose the game 2–0.
Manager Roy Keane placed him on the transfer list on 27 February 2008 due to a 'lack of discipline' and 'poor timekeeping', evidenced by his frequent lateness arriving to training sessions. He was linked with a move to Toronto FC
, a Canadian club with ties to former Sunderland players Danny Dichio, Carl Robinson
and Andy Welsh
.
expressed their wishes to secure a loan deal. Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia
said "There's been some interest in Liam from QPR, so something might happen there". The following day, Miller signed a permanent contract until the end of the season for an undisclosed fee. However, on 19 May 2009, just six months after joining, QPR released Miller along with five other players.
manager
John Hughes to offer his services. Hughes, who was surprised that Miller was available to him on a free transfer, quickly offered a two year deal, which Miller signed in September 2009. Miller quickly established himself in the Hibs first team, with Graham Spiers
describing him as the "king of Hibs" after a 1–1 draw against Rangers
at Ibrox
. His early performances for Hibs were rewarded with the Scottish Premier League
player of the month award
for October 2009.
Miller's form mirrored the rest of the Hibs team as it went into a slump in 2010, leading to the departure of Hughes. New manager Colin Calderwood
signed three new midfielders in January 2011 and left Miller out of the starting lineup for two games soon afterwards. Calderwood expressed hope that improved results would bring better form out of Miller, who he described as a top-level player. Miller expressed a desire to stay at Hibs in March 2011, but the two parties did not agree a new contact, which allowed him to leave the club.
A-League
club Perth Glory
signed Miller on a two year contract on 3 June 2011. Miller was stretchered off with suspected severe cramp
s, in Perth Glory's 2–2 draw with Sydney FC
, in a pre-season game on 24 September 2011.
Miller was part of the Irish squad that won the UEFA U-17 Championship
in 1998. He then progressed to the Ireland under-21 team
. He was fielded in a game against Albania
despite having been suspended after receiving two yellow cards in UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
games against Switzerland
and Albania
. The FAI
admitted the mistake and apologised to UEFA
.
Miller's debut for the first team came on 31 March 2004 against Czech Republic
in a 2–1 win; he came on as a substitute for Matt Holland
. His first goal for Ireland came in a 3–0 win over Sweden
on 1 March 2006 where he had made a run and a 25 yard shot rifled into the top of the net. Despite Miller being without a club during the summer of 2009, manager
Giovanni Trapattoni
continued to select him for the Ireland squad. Miller later commented that "I am very grateful to the manager. He didn't need to pick me in the squad but he showed faith in me and I'm delighted with that".
Celtic
Sunderland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
footballer who plays for Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
in the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. Miller began his career with Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
; at an early stage after injury he was loan
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
ed to Aarhus
Aarhus Gymnastik Forening
Aarhus Gymnastikforening is one of the oldest sport clubs in Denmark. AGF participates in a variety of activities in both individual and team sports. AGF is best known for its football team which has the longest streak in the Danish top division and also holds the record for most number of cup wins...
in 2001, making 18 appearances for the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
club. He returned to Celtic Park and broke into the first team squad during the 2003–04 season. Rejecting the offer of a new contract from Celtic, he joined Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in 2004 on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
. Loaned to Leeds United during the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, Miller only made 22 first team appearances for Manchester United.
In 2006, he joined Sunderland, but was linked with a move away from the club because of alleged timekeeping issues. He joined Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in January 2009, but was released at the end of the 2008–09 season. Miller joined Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
at the start of the 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season, again on a free transfer. He moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n A-League club Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
in 2011 after his contract with Hibernian expired. Miller represents the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
team internationally, making his debut in 2004 against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
.
Background
Miller was born in Ballincollig, CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland. He attended Coachford College
Coachford College
Coachford College is a secondary school located in Coachford, Cork, Ireland.Situated in the Lee Valley. Being 18 miles west of Cork city, the rural location offers an interesting choice of schooling for each child in the large catchment area which stretches from Kanturk to Bandon, Ballincollig to...
. In a web chat, Miller revealed that family has been his largest influence in football, and that Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
and Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
were also influential to his career. Miller is married and has one son.
Celtic
Miller then joined CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in 1997 as a youth player, and made his professional league debut against Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
on 21 May 2000. His UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
debut came against Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
-based club Jeunesse Esch
Jeunesse Esch
Jeunesse Esch is a football club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg.- History :...
on 24 August 2000 in a 7–0 win, and came close to scoring in the 64th minute. During his time at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, he had been on a six-month loan spell with Danish football club AGF Aarhus during the 2001–02 season, making 18 appearances without scoring a goal. They considered signing him permanently for £300,000.
His first Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
goals came in a 5–0 win over Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
on 18 October 2003; his first goal came after nine minutes when Stilian Petrov drilled the ball in low and Miller finished it off, and completed the scoring in the 50th minute with five-yard finish. Miller scored a goal in a 2–0 Champions League win against Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
; Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
then offered him a long-term contract, attempting to keep Miller at the club. Despite this, Miller signed a pre-contract agreement in January 2004 with Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. This move greatly disappointed Martin O'Neill, who had intended to build a new Celtic team around Miller. According to Irish Abroad, "His departure from the Glasgow giants, after only 26 appearances for the Bhoys, led to outrage among the club's supporters who perceived Miller to be showing a distinct lack of loyalty considering the Celts' support of him through long-term injury."
Manchester United
Miller joined Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
for free on 1 July 2004, and scored his first goal for the club on 26 October 2004 against Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
. After the start of his career for the Red Devils, he found first-team opportunities rare towards the end of the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season. In his entire time at the club he made only 22 first-team appearances. Miller later commented that "Man Utd didn't work out but I have no regrets about giving it a go."
In July 2006, The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that Miller would be allowed to leave Manchester United, should the Red Devils receive a suitable offer. It was made clear that Miller was not part of Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
's plans when, despite the huge number of senior players missing, he was still only a substitute in the opening game of the Red Devils' tour of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
against Orlando Pirates on 16 July 2006. On 31 August 2006, he moved to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
for free on a three-year deal, joining up with new Sunderland manager and former team-mate Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
. He left Manchester United after playing just nine league games in two seasons.
Leeds United loan
On 4 November 2005, Miller joined Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on loan for three months, though this was later extended to the end of the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season. He scored one goal during his time at Leeds, the winning goal in the 4–3 away win against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on 19 November 2005 and helped Leeds to reach the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
play-off final with a 3–1 on aggregate
Two-legged match
In sport , a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs...
over Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
. Miller featured in the play off final. However, Leeds failed to overcome Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
; they were beaten 3–0 and so missed out on promotion to the Premier League. During his time at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, he had scored one goal in 28 games.
Sunderland
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on 9 September 2006 at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
, and scored his first goal in the following game against Leeds United on 13 September 2006 in a 3–0 win shooting across the goalkeeper from 14 yards.
On 6 January 2007, he was sent off by referee Iain Williamson in the 37th minute of an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, after receiving his second yellow card for a foul on David Nugent
David Nugent
David James Nugent is an English footballer striker, who currently plays for Leicester City . Before joining Leicester, Nugent made a total of 228 appearances in the Football League playing for Bury, Preston North End and Portsmouth...
; Sunderland went on to lose the match 1–0. He scored his first Premier League goal for Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 22 September 2007 against North-East rivals Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in the 89th minute with a 20 yard left-footed shot. He was sent off for the second time in his Sunderland career by Peter Walton
Peter Walton (referee)
Peter Walton , is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League, and former player in the United Counties League. He is based in Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, the town which he played his football for...
; against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
on 8 December 2007 for a push on Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio is a Peruvian football forward. Pizarro plays for Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga...
. Sunderland went on to lose the game 2–0.
Manager Roy Keane placed him on the transfer list on 27 February 2008 due to a 'lack of discipline' and 'poor timekeeping', evidenced by his frequent lateness arriving to training sessions. He was linked with a move to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, a Canadian club with ties to former Sunderland players Danny Dichio, Carl Robinson
Carl Robinson
Carl Robinson is a Welsh footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Wolverhampton Wanderers:...
and Andy Welsh
Andy Welsh
Andrew Peter David "Andy" Welsh is an English footballer currently playing for Carlisle United. Despite being born in Manchester, Welsh qualifies to play for Scotland and has played for the Under 19 side....
.
Queens Park Rangers
Miller received interest in January 2009 as Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
expressed their wishes to secure a loan deal. Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia
Ricky Sbragia
Richard "Ricky" Sbragia is a Scottish former footballer and manager. As a coach, he spent time at Manchester United and Bolton, before joining Roy Keane's backroom staff at Sunderland. Sbragia became manager of Sunderland following Keane's departure, although he himself resigned in 2009 after...
said "There's been some interest in Liam from QPR, so something might happen there". The following day, Miller signed a permanent contract until the end of the season for an undisclosed fee. However, on 19 May 2009, just six months after joining, QPR released Miller along with five other players.
Hibernian
Miller was left without a club after the summer transfer window closed on 31 August 2009, and he was training with clubs in Ireland to maintain his fitness. He called HibsHibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
John Hughes to offer his services. Hughes, who was surprised that Miller was available to him on a free transfer, quickly offered a two year deal, which Miller signed in September 2009. Miller quickly established himself in the Hibs first team, with Graham Spiers
Graham Spiers
Graham Spiers is a Scottish sports journalist who writes for the Scottish edition of The Times newspaper. He has won Scotland's Sports Journalist of the Year award four times....
describing him as the "king of Hibs" after a 1–1 draw against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
. His early performances for Hibs were rewarded with the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
player of the month award
Scottish Premier League monthly awards
This article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...
for October 2009.
Miller's form mirrored the rest of the Hibs team as it went into a slump in 2010, leading to the departure of Hughes. New manager Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood
Colin Calderwood is a Scottish football player and coach. In November 2011 he was appointed as Chris Hughton's assistant manager at Birmingham City....
signed three new midfielders in January 2011 and left Miller out of the starting lineup for two games soon afterwards. Calderwood expressed hope that improved results would bring better form out of Miller, who he described as a top-level player. Miller expressed a desire to stay at Hibs in March 2011, but the two parties did not agree a new contact, which allowed him to leave the club.
Perth Glory
AustralianAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
club Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
signed Miller on a two year contract on 3 June 2011. Miller was stretchered off with suspected severe cramp
Cramp
Cramps are unpleasant, often painful sensations caused by muscle contraction or over shortening. Common causes of skeletal muscle cramps include muscle fatigue, low sodium, and low potassium...
s, in Perth Glory's 2–2 draw with Sydney FC
Sydney FC
Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
, in a pre-season game on 24 September 2011.
International career
UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
The UEFA U-17 Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. From 1982 to 2001 it was an Under-16 event.This meeting serves as a preliminary competition for the FIFA U-17 World Cup every other year....
in 1998. He then progressed to the Ireland under-21 team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. He was fielded in a game against Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
despite having been suspended after receiving two yellow cards in UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
games against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
and Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
. The FAI
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
admitted the mistake and apologised to UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
.
Miller's debut for the first team came on 31 March 2004 against Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in a 2–1 win; he came on as a substitute for Matt Holland
Matt Holland
Matthew Rhys "Matt" Holland is a former English-born Irish footballer, who represented Republic of Ireland at international level...
. His first goal for Ireland came in a 3–0 win over Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
on 1 March 2006 where he had made a run and a 25 yard shot rifled into the top of the net. Despite Miller being without a club during the summer of 2009, manager
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
continued to select him for the Ireland squad. Miller later commented that "I am very grateful to the manager. He didn't need to pick me in the squad but he showed faith in me and I'm delighted with that".
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
1999–2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| AGF Aarhus (loan) | 2001–02 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Total | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
2002–03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 5 | |
| Total | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 5 | |
| Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
2004–05 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 2005–06 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | |
| Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... (loan) |
2005–06 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| Total | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
2006–07 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2 |
| 2007–08 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 57 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 3 | |
| Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... |
2008–09 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
2009–10 2009–10 Scottish Premier League The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April... |
33 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Scottish Premier League The 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011... |
33 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 5 | |
| Total | 66 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 7 | |
| Perth Glory Perth Glory FC Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League... |
2011–12 2011–12 A-League The A-League's 2011–12 season is the seventh season of the Australasian A-League football competition since its establishment in 2004. At the end of the previous season, the North Queensland Fury were cut from the competition by the governing body, Football Federation Australia, due to financial... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Career total | 223 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 272 | 18 | |
International goals
- Score and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 1 March 2006 Lansdowne Road Lansdowne RoadLansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
, Dublin3–0 3–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
Honours
Republic of Ireland- UEFA U-17 ChampionshipUEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-17 Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. From 1982 to 2001 it was an Under-16 event.This meeting serves as a preliminary competition for the FIFA U-17 World Cup every other year....
(1): 1998
Celtic
- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(1): 2004
Sunderland
- Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
(1): 2006–07