With Celtic playing Cork City tonight it’s ironic that one of the rebel counties most famous, or infamous, Celts is currently out of football.
When Martin O’Neill stalled and stalled on a new contract for the emerging Miller the screams and hysterics from the Celtic support were long and loud as the midfielder signed a pre-contract with Manchester United.
What do you expect a club and player to do? With a wage of less than £1,000 a week how attractive would a transfer to Manchester United be? Not unexpectedly Miller never established himself at Old Trafford, not many players do, ask Carlos Tevez.
Miller hadn’t been given a meaningful contract offer from Celtic and was available on a free.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Wouldn’t you love your club to sign an emerging 23-year-old that had scored twice in the current Champions League campaign and who was out of contract in six months time.
After 22 appearances for Manchester United Miller moved onto Sunderland, signed by Roy Keane and then cold shouldered by his fellow Corkman before being sent on loan to QPR for the end of last season.
Throughout these difficult times Miller has made 19 appearances for Ireland and bizarrely is currently without a club.
TRAPATTONI
At the age of 28 Miller should be in his prime, he is still rated by Giovanni Trapattoni but is unable to get into the international side due to his lack of first team football.
After beating South Africa last night the Irish manager explained: “Liam Miller is a good player and he is in our squad. If we had scored a second goal I would have played Miller.
“I have spoken to him about his situation and his morale is not great. He’s a clever kid, he’s very humble. He’s not presumptuous and arrogant. I hope he gets a club soon.”
Miller could be playing in the World Cup at the end of the season, or he could be forgotten, left to rot in footballing Siberia.
A return to Celtic has been on the rumour mill for long enough, he does fit the Mowbray identikit style of player but I wouldn’t hold my breath on seeing Miller return to Paradise.
Guilleme Beuzelin on trial with Celtic