Why Celtic might move for a Scottish prodigy this winter
Lennon Miller has been linked again with a move to Celtic <i>(Image: NQ)</i>
Lennon Miller has been linked again with a move to Celtic (Image: NQ)
It’s less than seven weeks until the January transfer window is open for business. There’s one Scottish transfer rumour that refuses to go away – Motherwell’s Lennon Miller to Celtic.
It grew arms and legs in midweek when the social media and internet rumour mill went into overdrive with one outlet claiming that Celtic was preparing to shatter the transfer record shelled out by a Scottish club to another.
That currently stands at £4.4 million which Celtic gave to Hibs for Scott Brown’s service back in 2007. Celtic are purported to be prepared to offer the Steelmen a staggering £5.3 million upfront. The report stated that including potential add-ons the Lanarkshire side could rake in as much as £6.5m depending on Miller’s first-team appearances, Champions League appearances, and winning the title with Motherwell also receiving a healthy 20 per cent sell-on clause.
It also said that Celtic were willing to offer Miller back to Motherwell on a 6-month loan deal to get the deal over the line with the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle still sniffing around Scottish football’s hottest property and emerging young talent. Even if this particular slice of juicy Scottish football gossip were to be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt the devil is in the details and you can assume that machinations and conversations are going on in the background between the two clubs. Celtic would not be doing their due diligence if there wasn’t.
Miller became a ‘person of interest’ last February when he starred in a 3-1 defeat at Fir Park against Brendan Rodgers’ side and the Irishman made a beeline to offer him some consoling words immediately after the full-time whistle. From that moment on Celtic and Rodgers were keeping tabs on the youngster. Yours truly wrote about that very subject back in March.
Read more:
Motherwell’s Lennon Miller MUST interest Celtic this summer
Why Celtic should sign Scotland’s biggest talent – video
Rodgers got another up close and personal look at Miller when the midfielder crashed two superb efforts against the Celtic post and crossbar during Motherwell’s 3-0 league loss to the champions at Fir Park at the end of last month.
Nothing much has changed in the interim suffice to say Lennon’s prize tag. Celtic could have done a deal for Miller around the £3 or £4 million mark in the summer. Since then the player – the youngest ever to feature for Motherwell at 16 years and six days old – has led his side out at Hampden as captain for a League Cup semi-final against Rangers and is continuing his career trajectory which is very much on the up and up.
When Motherwell made 18-year-old Miller skipper for the League Cup semi-final showpiece they knew exactly what they were doing. It was purely a financial move done to make sure they eke out what they believe is a fair remuneration package for the players’ worth. You can’t blame them.
Miller is a prodigy. He lost out on both Young Player of the Year awards from his peers and writers last season to Kilmarnock’s David Watson. Miller though has progressed and developed his game to another level.
Technically he is flawless and his set-up for Blair Spittal’s goal in said 3-1 defeat involved a drag back and dummy that took Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley completely out of the play and that is no mean feat. Speaking of McGregor, Miller’s father former Falkirk, Hearts and Aberdeen striker Lee admitted that his son looked up to the likes of the Celtic skipper. Miller said: “You look at Callum McGregor who went to Notts County on loan and played with Jack Grealish on loan and he has had an unbelievable career.
“He is an exceptional player and Lennon will look up to players like Callum and look at what he has done in the game. He keeps it simple and he can also do extravagant things as well and he is a level-headed boy. He just comes across as someone who loves to play football.”
In an ideal world, Miller seems the prototype and perfect fit to be McGregor’s replacement. He is that good. Scotland under-19 international Miller loves to play football. He plays it rather well. He also possesses leadership qualities and looks like a mature head on young shoulders. Miller is the kind of malleable player that would be a dream for Rodgers to work with as the 51-year-old would be able to mould, twist, bend and shape into the finished article. On talent alone, Miller is halfway there already.
Miller won’t be signing for Celtic in January to warm the bench. If he signs on the dotted line he will be there to make his presence felt in Rodgers’ first team from the get-go.
(Image: Craig Foy – SNS Group)
Interestingly enough, former Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler waxed lyrical about him on a podcast recently. Tyler said: “You or many of you watching might not have heard of Lennon Miller. I hadn’t heard of him until recently. I was doing some preparation on Celtic for a Champions League assignment and they were playing Motherwell and this young man caught my eye.
“He has already played 50 games and scored six goals he will score a few more as he is paying further forward. Celtic won the game 3-0 but at 0-0, he hit the post and hit the bar which had the Celtic goalkeeper none other than Kasper Schmeichel well beaten. A millimetre either way and the goal would be replayed over and over again. He takes free kicks, he takes corners, he is six foot and is tall enough to be a threat from other people’s set pieces as well.
“I like the look of him and I was listening to the Sky Sports commentator Gary Weaver extolling his virtues at the same time as I was researching Celtic and he said that this could be the next cab off the rank from Scottish football into the English game. He’s still got a bit to do but at 18 he has played a lot of football. I like the look of him and will keep an eye out for him and I suggest you do the same.”
High praise indeed from one of football’s doyens. Tyler is right in one instance. Lennon is one to watch out for the future. As for Miller being the next cab off the rank to quit Scotland for England, that is presumptuous, to say the least.
There won’t be a bidding war in Scotland that’s for sure as Celtic are the only club in the country who can afford the cab fare for Miller. Whilst it will certainly be a case of ‘Taxi for Miller’ as he gets set to depart Motherwell in January.
The $64,000 question remains: Where to?
Celtic FC
Brendan Rodgers
Callum McGregor
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