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Charles Miller (born 18 March 1976) is a Scottish retired
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
. He started his career at Rangers, and was voted the
SPFA Young Player of the Year The PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, formerly known as the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year, is named at the end of every Football in Scotland, Scottish football season. The members of the Professional Footballers' Association Scotland ...
in 1995 during his time with the club. After spells with English
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
clubs Leicester City and
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
, Miller joined
Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...
in 2000 where he played for four seasons. Miller played for Norwegian club SK Brann from 2004 to 2006 and won the
Norwegian Cup The Norwegian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament ...
with the club in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. 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 Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
and raised in the
Castlemilk Castlemilk () is a district of Glasgow, Scotland. It lies to the far south of the city centre, adjacent to the Croftfoot and Simshill residential areas within the city to the north-west, the town of Rutherglen - neighbourhoods of Rutherglen#Sp ...
district of the city; he was brought up by his mother and has never met his father. 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, one of whom supported Rangers and the other
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
; 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.


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 The Scottish Football League Premier Division was, from 1975 until 1998, the top division of the Scottish Football League and the entire Scottish football league system. It lay above the Scottish Football League First, Second and (from 1994) ...
titles between 1995 and 1997 (providing the cross for Brian Laudrup to score the championship-clinching goal in the latter), as well as lifting the
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...
in
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
and starting matches in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
against the likes of
Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
,
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...
and
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
, all by the age of 21. When
David Beckham Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...
scored his famous goal from the halfway line against
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...
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. However, a lifestyle of parties and an unhealthy diet (with both his old Castlemilk pals and others such as teammate
Paul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Regarded as one of the best playmakers of his generation and one of the best English footballers of ...
's entourage) accompanied this early success, even after he made attempts to start afresh by moving with his partner to
Rutherglen Rutherglen (; , ) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having previously existed as a separate Lanarkshire burgh, in 1975 Rutherglen lo ...
where their daughter was born in 1994, and his career appeared to be on the wane. In 1996, after playing in an
Old Firm The Old Firm is a collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply embedded i ...
match earlier the same day, Miller engaged in a pub brawl after allegedly singing sectarian songs. His accomplice, Jimmy Gardner, was convicted of assault in relation to the incident, while a verdict of
not proven Not proven (, ) is a verdict available to a court of law in Scotland. Under Scots law, a criminal trial may end in one of three verdicts, one of conviction ("guilty") and two of acquittal ("not proven" and "not guilty").The Scottish criminal jur ...
was recorded against Miller.


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 Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
for £450,000 in October 1999. Watford were relegated in their first
FA Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football ...
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 Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...
on a free transfer. Miller enjoyed a successful four-year spell at Tannadice, becoming a firm favourite with the fans and making his international debut, but also losing two cup semi-finals to Celtic ( 2000–01 Scottish Cup and 2002–03 Scottish League Cup). Away from the pitch, an existing addiction to sports betting worsened, requiring him to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings. In May 2004, a contract dispute saw Miller leave the club to join ex-United player Robbie Winters at Norwegian club SK Brann. 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 Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...
, 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. He played regularly in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, although the club finished only mid-table, and in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
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. During his time at Brann he went on trial at English
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
club Cardiff City, but was not offered a full deal. In early January 2007, Miller began training with
Scottish First Division The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. It was replaced by the Scottish Championship. History The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 in Scottish footb ...
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. 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.


Brisbane Roar

On 31 July 2008, Miller officially signed a two-year deal with Australian
A-League A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...
club, Brisbane Roar. On 14 September, against
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional Association football, soccer club based in Perth, Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under Professional sports league organi ...
, Miller broke the
A-League A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...
scoring record for the best start to a season by scoring four goals in the
Roar A roar is a type of animal vocalization that is loud, deep and resonating. Many mammals have evolved to produce roars and other roar-like vocals for purposes such as long-distance communication and intimidation. These include various species of ...
's opening four fixtures of the 2008–09 season. He was diagnosed with a
hernia A hernia (: hernias or herniae, from Latin, meaning 'rupture') is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ (anatomy), organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. The term is also used for the normal Devel ...
and underwent surgery. Miller returned to the first team on 17 January 2009 as a substitute against
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club, commonly known as Sydney FC, is a professional association football, soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They compete in the top-tier men's league in Australia, the A-League Men. Established in 2004, ...
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.


Gold Coast United

After leaving the Roar, Miller was linked with a move to
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
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. Miller signed with Gold Coast on a short-term injury replacement contract. While in Australia, he also had to declare himself
bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the de ...
after an electronics business venture ran into difficulty.


Return to Scotland

It was reported on 12 November 2010 that Miller would spend the week training with Scottish Second Division club Ayr United. In February 2011, he signed for Clyde until the end of the season. He was released at the end of the season, after only making 5 appearances. 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.


International career

Miller won his sole
cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...
for
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
in a 1–1 draw with
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
in 2001. Steven Caldwell, Kenny Miller, Barry Nicholson,
Gavin Rae Gavin Paul Rae (born 28 November 1977) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He was recently the head coach of National Premier Leagues NSW club Hakoah Sydney City East FC. Rae started his p ...
, John O'Neil and Andy McLaren (the latter a childhood friend of Miller from Castlemilk) also made their Scotland debuts in the same game. 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'. 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 Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts (; born 30 December 1946) is a German former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga his whole professional club career and won the FIFA World Cup wi ...
. Scotland captain Barry Ferguson stated that Miller 'should be in the Scotland team', but Vogts did not take his advice.


Career statistics

''After 5 December 2009''


Honours


Rangers

*
Scottish Premier Division The Scottish Football League Premier Division was, from 1975 until 1998, the top division of the Scottish Football League and the entire Scottish football league system. It lay above the Scottish Football League First, Second and (from 1994) ...
: 4 :: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99 *
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...
: 1 :: 1996–97


Brann

*
Norwegian Cup The Norwegian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament ...
: 1 ::
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...


Individual

* Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year: 1 ::
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
*
A-League A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...
Foreign Player of the Year: 2008–2009


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Charlie 1976 births Living people Footballers from Glasgow Rutherglen Rangers F.C. players Belgian Pro League players Clyde F.C. players Dundee United F.C. players Lierse S.K. players Leicester City F.C. players Watford F.C. players A-League Men players Premier League players Brisbane Roar FC players Gold Coast United FC players SK Brann players Scotland men's international footballers Scotland men's under-21 international footballers Scottish Football League players Scottish men's footballers Scottish Premier League players English Football League players Eliteserien players Men's association football midfielders Expatriate men's footballers in Norway Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia Scottish expatriate men's footballers Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Norway Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Australia