Miller: William Peter (Liam)

2005-2006 (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Cork, Republic of Ireland: 13-02-1981

Debut: v Preston North End (h): 05-11-2005

5’7” 10st 6lb (2007)

After starting with Cork club, Ballincollig AFC, the midfielder furthered his career with Celtic in 1997, but struggled to break through into regular first-team football. He was playing with his boyhood heroes at Celtic. He became a fan favourite, after putting in a number of impressive performances, and scoring in the UEFA Champions League. During his time there, he had a six-month loan spell with Danish football club, AGF Aarhus, during the 2001-02 season, scoring six goals in eighteen games. The Danish club considered signing him permanently, for £300,000. However he joined Manchester United in a free transfer on 1st July 2004, after signing a pre-contract agreement in January that year, when negotiations with Celtic, over a new contract, fell through. This caused an outcry amongst the Celtic fans, who perceived Miller to be showing a distinct lack of loyalty to the club, which had supported him through long-term injury. In his time at Parkhead he only started thirteen League games but he also had another thirteen in substitute appearances and managed two goals. In addition he made one start in the League Cup and he also made a substitute appearance in that competition as well as one in the Scottish Cup. It was in European games where he fuelled the fans adulation with three goals in five starts and ten substitute appearances. With Manchester, he scored his first goal on 26th October 2004 against Crewe Alexandra. However, after an initial promising start with the Red Devils, he found first-team opportunities rare towards the end of the 2004-05 season, making only twenty-two first-team appearances in all competitions and exactly half were as substitute. He only started three League games. Before earning his first full Irish cap, Miller was also eligible to play for Scotland, as his father was Scottish. Despite failing to secure a first-team position at Manchester United, Miller remained a regular in the Irish squad. On 1st March 2006, Miller scored his first goal for Ireland, in an international friendly against Sweden, in Dublin. Picking the ball up on the half way line, Miller raced towards the Swedish penalty area, letting loose a fine shot from 25 yards, which beat the Swedish keeper, and dipped into the net. On 4th November 2005, Miller joined Leeds United, initially for three months, but 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 stunning 4-3 away win, against Southampton, and he also helped Leeds to reach the CCCL play-off final, a game in which he featured. However, Leeds failed to overcome Watford, and so were not promoted to the EPL. In July 2006, it was reported that Liam Miller would be allowed to leave Manchester United, should the Red Devils receive a suitable offer. It had been made clear that Miller was not part of Alex Ferguson's plans. 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. Throughout the summer, Miller had been linked with Scottish side Aberdeen. However, on 31st August 2006, he moved to Sunderland, on a free transfer, in a three-year deal, joining up with new Sunderland Manager, and former Manchester United and Ireland captain, Roy Keane. Miller made thirty appearances for Sunderland in his first season, scoring his first goal for them against Leeds United, in a 3-0 victory. Miller was placed on the transfer list by Manager Roy Keane on 27th February 2008, due to a 'lack of discipline' and 'poor timekeeping' shown in his frequent lateness for training sessions. Several reports linked Miller to a return to Leeds on loan for the rest of the season, but it failed to eventuate. After scoring three League goals in forty-one starts and sixteen games from the bench, and one start in the F.A. Cup and one start and one game from the bench in the League Cup without scoring, he left Sunderland for Queens Park Rangers on 15th January 2009 on a free transfer with a contract until the end of the season. He was released by Queens Park Rangers on 19th May 2009, after eleven starts and two substitute games in the League without scoring. He signed for Hibernian on a free transfer on 10th September 2009 with a two year contract. At the end of the 2009-10 season he had scored twice in thirty-three League games, one of which was as a substitute. He had also made four appearances in the Scottish Cup and one in the Scottish League Cup. Miller represented the Republic of Ireland at Under-twenty-one level fifteen times. He won his first full cap against the Czech Republic in March 2003 and scored his first goal, and to date his only goal, for Ireland with thirty yard shot after coming on as a substitute against Sweden on 1st March 2006. He was in the squad for the UEFA Championship qualifying ties against Cyprus and Czech Republic in October 2006 but was kept out of the games by a foot injury. He started against Wales in November 2007 and was introduced as a late subsitute against Georgia in World Cup qualifying tie on 6th September 2008. He had scored one goal in twenty appearances by the end of July 2009.