Lennon Miller faces 'exciting but nervous' time as he considers next move

Lennon Miller’s dad says it’s an exciting time for the Motherwell star as he considers his future but admits his son is nervous about choosing his next move.

Lee Miller, who played for Aberdeen, Dundee United and Falkirk among others in a long career, says all the boxes have to be ticked to give Lennon the best opportunity to continue developing.

The 18-year-old was Motherwell’s stand-out player this season, captained the team and won both major Young Player of the Year awards before winning his first Scotland cap in the recent friendly against Iceland.

His star has been on the rise for some time, and it’s expected that he will leave Fir Park this summer to take the next step in a career that could take him to the very top of the game. New Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou has already said that he is planning for life without the midfielder.

“I think as a footballer and parent of a footballer, there’s always decision to make,” said Miller. “Lennon’s next move is so important.

“A lot of players will get sucked into just moving to a massive club and saying ‘I’ve arrived’.

“But there needs to be, and there has been, a lot of thought process about his next move because it’s a development move again.

“Everything so far has gone to plan, and it’s what we kind of planned out for him in terms of playing lots of games for the first team and doing well. And it’s on him. There was a pathway there for him at Motherwell.

“The next one is so important. He has to play. He has to develop. He has to then kick on again.

“I think everybody saw that with Scotland. No disrespect to Motherwell players but once he’s round about better players, top-class elite players, he can kick on again in my opinion.

“I think he has that inner belief. And it’s not arrogance, just a belief.

“He just wants to play football.”

Miller said Lennon has remained calm amidst all the speculation, and hasn’t let the focus affect his game. And while Motherwell haven’t received any concrete offers for the midfielder yet there are stories in the media about his future almost on a daily basis.

“He’s back to Motherwell on Monday,” Miller said.

“Nothing has happened as yet. Yes, there’s speculation and talk on Twitter etc but it’s a different club every day.

“It’s quite funny watching it and seeing how it’s progressing but essentially nobody has made any bids for him

“Yes, he would like to further his career down the line but we’ll just need to see what happens.”

He acknowledged the number of players now plying their trade at top-level clubs across Europe and wouldn’t rule out following in those steps. But most important is finding the right place to continue playing on a regular basis.

“It’s so difficult to say ‘This club are interested, that will be a good one for him’,” he said.

“Is that a good environment for him to be in? Is there a pathway?

“Are you going to play there? Are there players ahead of you?

“There’s so many different things that come into the equation. There’s so many different layers.

“Listen, clubs have been interested in Lennon since he was 14. There’s always been talk and people wanting to take him here, there and everywhere.

“We’ve always had a focus on stay at Motherwell, do your time, and see where it takes you from there.

“So it’s exciting times but also really nervous.

“You want to make the right decision and give him the best advice.

“But ultimately it’s his decision at the end of the day.”

Lee Miller appeared courtesy of William Hill and the Warm-Up, SPFL Title Sponsor.