'Why?': Rangers hero wishes Clement had signed rising star, now worth 'a lot more than £5m'
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Any player worthy of the Rangers jersey must possess both the right ability and the right attitude. And, for Derek Ferguson, this Ibrox-linked wonderkid possesses both in spades.
With 91 minutes on the clock, and many far more experienced players on the pitch, it was an 18-year-old who stepped up to take the decisive spot kick last weekend.
And, drilling the ball coolly into Dundee United’s bottom-left corner to send his club into the semi-finals of the League Cup, Motherwell’s baby-faced midfield maestro Lennon Miller aced another audition in his journey to the very top of the Scottish game.
Rangers have reportedly sent scouts to watch Miller in Motherwell action over recent months. And, only a month after celebrating his 18th birthday, arguably the brightest teenage talent in the whole of the Premiership continues to justify the faith of those who feel he has both the talent and the mindset to cope with the crushing pressure of the Old Firm goldfish bowl.
Derek Ferguson raves about Rangers target Lennon Miller
Miller already has four goals and assists from 11 appearances in 2024/25. As many as he managed across the entirety of 2023/24.
And Ferguson insists that Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell deserves much credit for Miller’s transformation from a string-pulling ‘regista’ into a box-crashing ‘advanced eight’.
“The difference in his game…,” Ferguson says, wishing that Rangers had made a move for Lennon during a busy summer window. “He was maybe sitting deeper, he was a playmaker. Now, he’s getting forward, getting strikes at goal, hitting the box…
“I'm thinking, why did we not [go for him]? He looks an athlete, big, strong. I love that he is the one who steps up to take the penalty as well.
“[Miller has] that confidence, that belief.”
Former Ibrox stalwart and now Motherwell veteran Andy Halliday is convinced Miller would start in Philippe Clement’s Rangers side even at such an early age. He believes the Scotland Under 21 international would have few issues ousting Mohamed Diomande and an in-form Connor Barron.
Ferguson is also confident that Miller could make the step up look pretty straightforward, though Gordon Dalziel argues that anyone looking to test Motherwell’s resolve would have to start the bidding pretty high these days.
Motherwell told to demand at least £5 million for Miller
"Four or £5 million? Oh, I'd be looking for a lot more than that,” Dalziel thinks. “I think he's got the potential to be a top, top player."
Already a physical specimen at 6ft tall, Miller was nominated for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award last season. He would lose out to Kilmarnock’s David Watson.
But, a jewell in the crown of an increasingly-prosperous Scottish youth system, there should be plenty more awards – individual or otherwise – up for grabs in a career which is only just getting started.
"I think he’s top,” former Scotland forward James McFadden adds. “Next year, [Motherwell should demand] four or five million. Don't even think about anything less.
“See, if you didn’t know him, you would go to the game and watch him and someone says; ‘By the way, there’s a boy who has just turned 18 on the pitch’. You don’t know which one it is cause of the maturity he plays with.
“His understanding of the game is ridiculous. And his technique…”
