Charlie Miller

Charles Miller (born 18 March 1976) is a Scottish retired footballer. He started his career at Rangers, and was voted the SPFA Young Player of the Year in 1995 during his time with the club. After spells with English Premier League clubs Leicester City and Watford, Miller joined Dundee United in 2000 where he played for four seasons.

Charlie Miller
Miller playing for Gold Coast United in 2010
Personal information
Full name Charles Miller[1]
Date of birth (1976-03-18) 18 March 1976
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Playing position(s) Attacking Midfielder
Youth career
1985–1991 Rangers SABC[2]
1991–1994 Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1999 Rangers 81 (10)
1999 → Leicester City (loan) 4 (0)
1999–2000 Watford 14 (0)
2000–2004 Dundee United 118 (17)
2004–2006 SK Brann 52 (14)
2007–2008 Lierse 33 (12)
2008–2009 Brisbane Roar 30 (8)
2009–2010 Gold Coast United 12 (1)
2011 Clyde 5 (0)
Total 351 (62)
National team
1994–1996 Scotland U21[3] 8 (1)
2001 Scotland 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Miller played for Norwegian club SK Brann from 2004 to 2006 and won the Norwegian Cup with the club in 2004. After spells in Belgium and Australia, he returned to Scotland in 2011 when he joined Clyde.

Club career

Early life

Miller was born in Glasgow and raised in the Castlemilk district of the city;[4] he was brought up by his mother and has never met his father.[4] He attended Castlemilk High School before leaving early to join the staff at Rangers, having been on a youth contract with the club since the age of 11. He had been introduced to football by his two uncles,[4] one of whom supported Rangers and the other Celtic; Miller has stated that he attended games of both clubs as a child and had no particular affection for either until he started to play regularly for Rangers' affiliated boys club.[5]

Rangers

Miller made his senior debut in 1993 aged just 17, and showed he was talented enough to make an impression in the nine-in-a-row team under Walter Smith, winning three Scottish Premier Division titles between 1995 and 1997 (providing the cross for Brian Laudrup to score the championship-clinching goal in the latter),[6] as well as lifting the Scottish League Cup in 1996[7] and starting matches in the UEFA Champions League against the likes of Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, all by the age of 21.[8][9] When David Beckham scored his famous goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon on 17 August 1996, he did so in boots custom-made for Miller ("CHARLIE" was embroidered on the boots), which had been given to Beckham by mistake.[10][4]

However, a lifestyle of parties and an unhealthy diet (with both his old Castlemilk pals and others such as teammate Paul Gascoigne's entourage) accompanied this early success, even after he made attempts to start afresh by moving with his partner to Rutherglen where their daughter was born in 1994,[5] and his career appeared to be on the wane.[4] In 1996, after playing in an Old Firm match earlier the same day, Miller engaged in a pub brawl after allegedly singing sectarian songs.[11][4] His accomplice, Jimmy Gardner, was convicted of assault in relation to the incident, while a verdict of not proven was recorded against Miller.[12]

England and Dundee United

Having fallen out of favour at Ibrox with the emerging Barry Ferguson being preferred in midfield, Miller was loaned to Leicester City towards the end of the 1998–99 season (having played enough matches for Rangers to receive a fourth league winner's medal) before joining Watford for £450,000 in October 1999. Watford were relegated in their first FA Premier League season with Miller unable to make an impact, making only 15 league appearances. He played one more League Cup game for the Hornets in the 2000-01 before moving to Dundee United on a free transfer.

Miller enjoyed a successful four-year spell at Tannadice,[4] becoming a firm favourite with the fans and making his international debut,[13] but also losing two cup semi-finals to Celtic (2000–01 Scottish Cup and 2002–03 Scottish League Cup).[14][15] Away from the pitch, an existing addiction to sports betting worsened, requiring him to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings.[16] In May 2004, a contract dispute saw Miller leave the club to join ex-United player Robbie Winters at Norwegian club SK Brann.[17] He made 135 appearances for Dundee United in all competitions, which would be his highest total for a single club during his career.

Brann and Lierse

In Bergen, Miller became one of the supporters' favourite players, due to his technique and passing ability. Despite this, he was in and out of the team, according to manager Mons Ivar Mjelde because of defensive considerations. He had early success with the club in the 2004 Norwegian Football Cup Final, a 4–1 win over Lyn, coming on as a late substitute for Winters who had scored one of the goals.[18] He played regularly in 2005, although the club finished only mid-table, and in 2006 he started off as one of the league's top players, but gradually received some attention off the pitch, apparently provoked by lack of confidence from the manager. He made it clear that he was unhappy as a right midfielder, the position he had played in most of the season, and eventually that he wanted to leave the club. Miller also criticised Mjelde's unusually close ties to his rival for the attacking central midfield spot, Martin Andresen. Miller refused to participate in the silver medal ceremony after the game against Ham-Kam on 29 October, following which he was ignored by the coach, and only played the last minute of Brann's Royal League match against Rosenborg on 7 December 2006, in which he contributed to the winning goal scored by Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen.[19]

During his time at Brann he went on trial at English Championship club Cardiff City, but was not offered a full deal.[20] In early January 2007, Miller began training with Scottish First Division club St Johnstone to top up his fitness during the Norwegian league's winter break. His contract with SK Brann was terminated after an agreement on 31 January.[21]

On 9 February 2007, Miller signed a contract at the Belgian team Lierse S.K. On 20 April, he scored his first goals for Lierse against Germinal Beerschot in their (ultimately unsuccessful) fight to stay in the first division. On 27 June he signed a three-year contract with Lierse but was released less than a year later with the club having failed to gain promotion.[22]

Miller playing for Brisbane Roar

Brisbane Roar

On 31 July 2008, Miller officially signed a two-year deal with Australian A-League club, Brisbane Roar. On 14 September, against Perth Glory, Miller broke the A-League scoring record for the best start to a season by scoring four goals in the Roar's opening four fixtures of the 2008-09 season.

He was diagnosed with a hernia and underwent surgery.[23] Miller returned to the first team on 17 January 2009 as a substitute against Sydney FC coming on late in the game, and made the pass that set up Sergio van Dijk's third goal of the match. On 5 December 2009, Miller's contract with the Roar was terminated by mutual consent in the middle of the 2009–10 season as the club could not guarantee Miller a contract for the 2010–11 season.[24]

Gold Coast United

After leaving the Roar, Miller was linked with a move to Queensland rivals, North Queensland Fury FC and Gold Coast United. On 5 December 2009 he was a guest at a Gold Coast United fixture sparking rumors of a potential move.[25] Miller signed with Gold Coast on a short-term injury replacement contract.[26] While in Australia, he also had to declare himself bankrupt after an electronics business venture ran into difficulty.[16]

Return to Scotland

It was reported on 12 November 2010 that Miller would spend the week training with Scottish Second Division club Ayr United.[27] In February 2011, he signed for Clyde until the end of the season.[28] He was released at the end of the season, after only making 5 appearances.[29] After retiring from professional football, he began operating a youth football academy program in Castlemilk as well as playing in a local amateur team alongside Andy McLaren.[4]

International career

Miller won his sole cap for Scotland in a 1–1 draw with Poland in 2001.[30] Steven Caldwell, Kenny Miller, Barry Nicholson, Gavin Rae, John O'Neil and Andy McLaren (the latter a childhood friend of Miller from Castlemilk) also made their Scotland debuts in the same game.[30][4][13] Scotland manager Craig Brown stated that 'Charlie Miller has always been a talented player and now I think his club manager Alex Smith has got the best out of him and this is a new challenge for him'.[31] Brown resigned as Scotland boss later in 2001 after failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup and Miller was overlooked by Brown's successor Berti Vogts. Scotland captain Barry Ferguson stated that Miller 'should be in the Scotland team', but Vogts did not take his advice.[32]

Career statistics

After 5 December 2009

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Scotland League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
1993-94RangersScottish Premier Division30N/AN/AN/A30
1994-95213N/AN/AN/A213
1995-96233N/AN/AN/A233
1996-97131N/A3051212
1997-9870-3031131
1998-99Scottish Premier League163202120224
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
1998-99Leicester City (loan)English Premier League40---40
1999-00Watford1401010-160
2000-01English First Division--10-10
Scotland League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
2000-01Dundee UnitedScottish Premier League24541--285
2001-023444130-415
2002-033431030-383
2003-042651010-285
Norway League Norwegian Cup League Cup Europe Total
2004BrannTippeligaen9210N/A-102
200523634423012
20062062030256
Belgium League Belgian Cup League Cup Europe Total
2006-07LierseBelgian First Division82N/AN/AN/A82
2007-08Belgian Second Division
Australia League Cup League Cup Oceania/Asia Total
2008-09Queensland RoarA-League308---308

Honours

Rangers
  • Scottish Premier Division: 4
1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998-99[8]
1996–97[7]

Brann
  • Norwegian Cup: 1
2004[18]

Individual
  • Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year: 1
1995
  • A-League Foreign Player of the Year: 2008-2009
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References
  1. "Charlie Miller". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  2. "SABC continue to create stars for the future". Youth Football Scotland. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  3. "Scotland U21 profile". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  4. "Charlie Miller on Rangers, Beckham and Castlemilk". The Scotsman. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  5. Miller, Charlie; McDermott, Scott (2014). The Proper Charlie: My Autobiography. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 9781845028909.
  6. "Where are they now? Rangers' 9-in-a-row clinching team". The Scotsman. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  7. "Laudrup shatters Hearts". The Independent. 19 May 1996. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  8. "Rangers player Charlie Miller profile". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  9. David McKinney (31 October 1996). "Rangers come to end of road". The Independent. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  10. "Beckham's Golden Boots". rediff.com. 27 April 2004.
  11. "Soldiers, sashes and shamrocks: Football and social identity in Scotland and Northern Ireland". SOSOL. in 1996 Rangers' Charlie Miller was involved in a pub brawl after he had allegedly been singing sectarian songs. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. "Steeped in a culture of poison". Herald Scotland. 26 February 1997.
  13. "Miller given new Scotland mission". BBC Sport. 27 April 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  14. "FT: Celtic 3-1 Dundee United". BBC Sport. 15 April 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  15. "Balde bowls out Dundee Utd". BBC Sport. 13 February 2003. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  16. "Rangers hero Charlie Miller: I blew £1 million on gambling... I'd drive around with winnings stashed in the boot of my car". Daily Record. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  17. "Miller in Brann new start". BBC Sport. 16 July 2004. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  18. "Kamprapport cupfinalen 2004" [Match Report Cup Final 2004] (in Norwegian). Bergens Avisen. 7 November 2004. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  19. "Game Summary: SK Brann vs Roseborg BK". Football-lineups. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  20. Cardiff release midfielder Miller BBC Sport Retrieved on 5 October 2007
  21. (in Norwegian) Charlie løst fra kontrakten Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  22. "Dixon switch moves closer". Evening Telegraph. 18 June 2008. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
  23. "Home - Live Scores & Latest News - Fox Sports". Fox Sports. 10 March 2016.
  24. "Home - Live Scores & Latest News - Fox Sports". Fox Sports. 10 March 2016.
  25. "Home - Live Scores & Latest News - Fox Sports". Fox Sports. 10 March 2016.
  26. Deadline for impact
  27. "Ayr United FC". dailyrecord.
  28. "Triple Capture". clydefc.co.uk. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  29. "Player news". clydefc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  30. "Wed 25 Apr 2001 Poland 1 Scotland 1". www.londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  31. Andrew Lomax (17 April 2001). "Scotland to keep Hendry out of the firing line". Telegraph.co.uk.
  32. "Ferguson tips pal Miller for cap". The Scotsman.
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