Who is Lennon Miller? The Scottish starlet enticing Celtic, Rangers and six Prem sides

James Pennington 23 Nov 2023 6:36 PM

Lennon Miller is a Scottish central midfielder who plays for Motherwell, though links to Celtic and Rangers as well as those south of the border are beginning to grow.

Miller – who only turned 17 in August – has made 14 appearances in all competitions so far this season for Motherwell and has become an important figure in The Steelmen’s midfield alongside Canadian Harry Paton.

Motherwell haven’t started the campaign as they would have hoped, sitting in eighth place currently, just two points above bottom of the table Livingston in what has been a closely fought relegation battle early on in the season. But the young Scot has been a shining light in what has been a dim campaign thus far.

Miller recently signed an extension at his boyhood club until the summer of 2026 and is currently out for up to 12 weeks following a small fracture to the kneecap.

Miller’s career so far

Miller joined his current club Motherwell at the age of seven and progressed through the youth ranks to the first team in August 2022, six days after his 16th birthday.

He made his debut in the Scottish League Cup in a 4-0 home victory over Inverness becoming the youngest player to compete in a major competition in the club’s history.

His first appearance in the Scottish Premiership came in a 3-0 away loss to Rangers in December 2022 when he came on as a second-half substitute. His full debut in the competition came in a 3-2 home victory against Dundee United.

The young Scot has also represented his country at all U16, U17 and U19 levels.

His debut for Scotland U16s came when he was only 14 and was against England during which he scored a wonder strike from the halfway line and was awarded as the Goal of the Year in Scottish international football across all levels.

Miller has represented Scotland U17s at both the 2022 and 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championships.

What is Miller like as a player?

Despite his tender age, Miller is more than capable of holding his own in the professional game and already stands at 1.82m (6ft). He uses his body very well to shield the ball from opposition and often draws fouls from doing so.

He is very good at breaking up play, cutting the passing lanes and intercepting loose balls that are up for grabs.

Miller’s best work comes on the ball, where a trademark of his game is his long-range passing ability and vision. He can switch play to either wing in an instant in a bid to stretch the game and disrupt the opposition’s shape.

He can read the game well and often spot passes that others necessarily wouldn’t see, which can help to unlock defences and get his side further up the pitch.

His close control and dribbling is also very important to his game. Primarily playing in the centre of the park he often finds himself having to try and get out of tight situations, where his superb close control enables him to dribble into space, release a pass to a teammate and retain possession.

Where will Miller go?

According to Transfermarkt, Miller’s current market value is around €200k (£173k), but with his contract extended until 2026, Motherwell are not under pressure to sell their home grown starlet anytime soon.

Though it is difficult to see the central midfielder sticking around at Fir Park forever, with Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers both vying for Miller’s signature.

There is also reported interest from Premier League clubs such as Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Brighton, Brentford and West Ham.

All mentioned clubs will be able to stump up far more lucrative wages than Motherwell, something that may eventually entice the 17-year-old to make the switch.

A move to either Glasgow giant is most certainly not out of the question for Miller, with many of Scotland’s bright young talent making the move to either the green and white or the blue side.

For his development, a move to either Scottish side would be beneficial, as it would give him the experience of being in a winning atmosphere and the chance to play with players of a higher calibre. The chance of playing European football is also more likely than at his current side.

We have seen players such as Virgil van Dijk, Kieran Tierney, Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Dembele all develop at Celtic Park before going on to success elsewhere.

On the blue side, Calvin Bassey, Nathan Patterson and Joe Aribo have all had their profiles increased thanks to exposure of first team football at Ibrox.

A move to the Premier League may be slightly premature for Miller as it would be unlikely that he would go straight into the first team in any of the linked English clubs.

He needs assurance of first team football wherever he goes, so if a switch south of the border materialises then a guarantee of a loan move, maybe to a Championship side, could be his best bet.