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Willie Miller

For other people with the same name, see William Miller.

William Ferguson Miller MBE (born 2 May 1955) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, who made a club record 560 league appearances for Aberdeen. Sir Alex Ferguson described Miller as "the best penalty box defender in the world".[3]

Willie Miller
MBE
Personal information
Full name William Ferguson Miller[1]
Date of birth (1955-05-02) 2 May 1955 (age 69)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Central defender
Youth career
1969–1971 Eastercraigs Boys Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971–1990 Aberdeen 560 (21)
1971–1972 → Peterhead (loan)
International career
1977 Scotland U21 2 (0)
1974–1976 Scotland U23 9 (0)
1975–1989 Scotland 65 (1)
1976 Scottish League XI 1 (0)
Managerial career
1992–1995 Aberdeen
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Born in Glasgow, Miller was raised in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow. He had little interest in football as a young child, and when he did become drawn to the game he played initially as a goalkeeper.[1] He was scouted by several professional clubs while playing as a forward with Glasgow Schools and Eastercraigs Boys Club.[4][2]

Having been on unofficial schoolboy terms in 1969, Miller signed full-time for Aberdeen in 1971 at the age of 16 and spent a season on loan with Peterhead in the Highland League, scoring 24 goals;[5][2] upon his return he was converted to a central defender/sweeper in the reserves on the advice of Teddy Scott,[4][6] winning the SFL Reserve Cup in 1973,[7] established himself in that position in the first team in place of Henning Boel,[1][2] and by 1975 had been made captain by manager Ally MacLeod.

Miller's central defensive partnership with Alex McLeish was integral to Aberdeen's success in the 1980s,[8] as they won all the major domestic honours and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983. He made at least 40 appearances for Aberdeen in 14 consecutive seasons,[2] amassing a total of 12 trophies won as well as appearing in several other finals.[6] His total of 797 competitive appearances for the club is comfortably (by more than 100 matches) the all-time record.

He retired from playing in 1990 due to an injury picked up whilst playing for Scotland.[4][9][2] A farewell testimonial match in his honour took place in December 1990 with Aberdeen facing a 'World Cup XI' (featuring Kenny Dalglish, David O'Leary, Mark Hughes and Danny McGrain among others) at Pittodrie Stadium.[10] He had already received a testimonial in 1981 against Tottenham Hotspur.[11]

In 2003, Willie Miller was voted the greatest Aberdeen player of all time in a poll to mark the club's centenary.[12] In 2015 it was no surprise when he was named in Aberdeen's 'greatest ever team' by supporters of the club.[13]

Miller was voted Scottish Football Writers' and SPFA Players' Player of the Year in 1984.[14] He had been runner-up for the SFWA award in 1983.[15]

International career

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Having appeared at under-21[16] and under-23[17] level, Miller won 65 full international caps for Scotland between 1975 and 1989, scoring one goal. His 50th cap came against West Germany during the 1986 FIFA World Cup.[2] His international career was effectively ended by an injury suffered during the last game of 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification.[4][9] Although he did not play in the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals, Miller was presented with the match ball from Scotland's 1–0 loss to Brazil to thank him for his contribution to Scottish football.[citation needed]

He was an inaugural inductee to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004,[18] and is also on the international roll of honour, having won 50 international caps. In 2010, Miller was chosen as one of the eleven members of Scotland's Greatest Team, by viewers of the Scottish Television documentary series, which sought the fans' opinion on the best Scotland players since the 1960s.[19] Viewers also chose Alex McLeish as his partner in central defence.

Managerial career

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In February 1992, he was appointed Aberdeen manager, replacing the sacked Alex Smith.[20] Despite two second-place finishes in the league and two losing cup finals in 1992–93, Miller was sacked in February 1995[2][6][21] with the club in danger of being relegated for the first time in its history (survival was eventually achieved via a playoff).

In May 2004, Miller was appointed to the Aberdeen board and given executive responsibility for football.[2] He played a large role in the appointment of Jimmy Calderwood (a friend from their Glasgow Schools days)[1] as manager,[22] as well as progressing the club's youth academy.[6]

In June 2011, he was appointed as Aberdeen's Director of Football Development, with the responsibility of finding new playing talent for the club.[23] He departed again in 2012.[6][21]

Career outside football

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Miller has worked for the BBC, particularly for Radio Scotland, as a football commentator and analyst.[2] He has written two autobiographies, The Miller's Tale and The Don, the latter being published in 2007.[24][1] His third book, Willie Miller's Aberdeen Dream Team, was published in 2011.[4]

During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum Miller was a supporter of the Better Together campaign against Scottish independence.[25]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[26]
Club Season League Scottish
Cup 		Scottish
League Cup 		Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aberdeen 1972–73 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1973–74 31 1 1 0 9 0 4 0 46 0
1974–75 34 1 4 1 6 0 0 0 44 2
1975–76 36 0 2 1 6 0 0 0 44 1
1976–77 36 0 3 0 8 0 0 0 47 0
1977–78 36 2 6 0 6 0 2 0 50 2
1978–79 34 0 5 1 8 0 4 0 51 1
1979–80 31 1 5 1 8 0 2 0 46 2
1980–81 33 2 1 0 6 0 4 0 44 2
1981–82 36 0 6 0 10 0 6 0 58 0
1982–83 36 2 5 0 8 0 11 1 60 3
1983–84 34 2 7 1 9 1 10 0 60 4
1984–85 35 3 6 0 1 0 2 0 43 3
1985–86 33 1 6 1 6 0 6 1 51 3
1986–87 36 2 3 0 2 0 2 0 43 2
1987–88 42 3 6 0 5 0 4 0 57 3
1988–89 22 1 0 0 5 2 2 0 29 3
1989–90 15 0 0 0 5 0 2 0 22 0
1990–91 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Career total 560 21 66 6 109 3 61 2 797 32

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[27][2]
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 1975 1 0
1978 1 0
1979 1 0
1980 6 1
1981 7 0
1982 5 0
1983 9 0
1984 6 0
1985 8 0
1986 8 0
1987 4 0
1988 7 0
1989 2 0
Total 65 1
Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Miller goal.
List of international goals scored by Willie Miller[28]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 21 May 1980 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland   Wales 1–0 1–0 1979–80 British Home Championship

Managerial record

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[29]

Team From To Record
P W L D Win %
Aberdeen February 1992 February 1995 155 72 50 33 046.45

Honours

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Player

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Peterhead

Aberdeen

Scotland

Manager

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Individual

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Miller, Willie (2013). Willie Miller – The Don. Birlinn. ISBN 9780857905505.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Dark Blue Dons: Willie Miller". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  3. ^ Harry Reid (2005), The Final Whistle?, Birlinn, 237–8 ISBN 1-84158-362-6
  4. ^ a b c d e Miller, Willie (2011). Willie Miller's Aberdeen Dream Team. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 9781845024031.
  5. ^ "10 things about Peterhead". Scottish Professional Football League. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Hall of Fame: Willie Miller". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Motherwell 0 - 1 Aberdeen: Scottish Reserve League Cup Final Second Leg". AFC Heritage. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Dark Blue Dons: Alex McLeish". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Final Curtain: Willie Miller's last game for Scotland (v Norway, 15 November 1989)". The Scotsman. 10 October 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Aberdeen 2–5 World Cup XI". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Aberdeen 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Miller is greatest Don". BBC Sport. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  13. ^ "AFC Greatest Ever XI: Goalkeeper & Defenders". Official website. Aberdeen F.C. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Landslide win for Puttodrie skipper". Aberdeen Evening Express. 2 May 1984. Retrieved 5 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Miller pipped by Nicholas". Press and Journal. 26 April 1983. Retrieved 5 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "Scotland U21 profile". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  17. ^ "Scotland U23 profile". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Hall of Fame Dinner 2004". Scottish Football Museum. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  19. ^ "TV review: Scotland's Greatest Team". The Scotsman. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  20. ^ 'Fan power was on the rampage': How Alex Smith paid the price for Aberdeen's troubled 1991-92 season, Neil Drysdale, Press & Journal, 11 October 2021
  21. ^ a b "Aberdeen sever all ties with club legend Willie Miller". BBC Sport. 19 June 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  22. ^ "Aberdeen target Calderwood". BBC Sport. 24 May 2004. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  23. ^ "Willie Miller becomes director of football at Aberdeen". BBC Sport. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  24. ^ "Miller reveals football memories". BBC Sport. 30 October 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  25. ^ Torcuil Crichton. "Independence referendum: Football legends unite to back Better Together campaign - Daily Record". dailyrecord. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  26. ^ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile".
  27. ^ Willie Miller at National-Football-Teams.com
  28. ^ http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football_player_profile.cfm?page=2492&playerID=9&squadID=1 SFA profile
  29. ^ "Aberdeen manager Willie Miller". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  30. ^ "There's more than one Willie Miller". Herald Scotland. 20 November 1989. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  31. ^ "When Aberdeen ruled Scottish football". The Guardian. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  32. ^ "Dons run riot as tension melts (page 15)". The Herald. 24 May 1982. Retrieved 24 October 2017 – via Google news archive.
  33. ^ "Don't put the blame on Russell – Greig (page 17)". The Herald. 23 May 1983. Retrieved 24 October 2017 – via Google news archive).
  34. ^ "Dons' three-in-a-row cup feat (page 15)". The Herald. 21 May 1984. Retrieved 24 October 2017 – via Google news archive).
  35. ^ "Scottish Cup: 1986 revisited". Aberdeen F.C. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  36. ^ "Wallace, Greig make history". The Herald. 8 May 1978. Retrieved 24 October 2017 – via Google news archive).
  37. ^ "Bett the light of bold Aberdeen (page 19)". The Herald. 23 October 1989. Retrieved 24 October 2017 – via Google news archive).
  38. ^ "Now You Know: Rougvie shown red card in Rangers cup final victory". Evening Times. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  39. ^ Reynolds, Jim (26 October 1987). "Spot-on Rangers earn the cheers". The Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  40. ^ "Now You Know: Ally McCoist double helped Rangers defeat Aberdeen 3-2 in 1998 League Cup Final". Evening Times. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  41. ^ "Aberdeen 0 - 0 St. Mirren: Drybrough Cup Final". AFC Heritage. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  42. ^ Webster, Jack (19 November 1983). "Here we go... all the way to glory". The Glasgow Herald. p. 18. Retrieved 24 October 2017 – via Google News.
  43. ^ "Sir Alex's five dates with destiny". UEFA. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  44. ^ "1983: Ferguson first for Aberdeen". UEFA. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  45. ^ Reynolds, Jim (21 December 1983). "Aberdeen's super heroes take the glory". The Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2017 – via Google news archive).
  46. ^ "Rous-ing win for makeshift Scots". Glasgow Herald. 27 May 1985. p. 15 – via Google News Archive.
  47. ^ "Football: Hateley cleans up for Rangers". The Independent. 29 May 1993. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  48. ^ McKinney, David (26 October 1992). "Football: Smith's slip gives Rangers the prize". The Independent. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  49. ^ "HARD TO GET". Evening Express. 2 June 1984. Retrieved 7 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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