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Adam Miller (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Adam Edward Miller is an English footballer, of Irish descent, who plays for Cambridge United
. He began his career with Ipswich Town
but failed to make the first team and played for several non-league
teams before joining Queens Park Rangers
, where he made his Football League
debut in December 2004. He later joined Stevenage Borough
, but followed manager Mark Stimson
to Gillingham in late 2007. He has represented the England National Game XI and played at Wembley Stadium
in the final of the FA Trophy
.
, but grew up in the Monkwick district of Colchester
, where his family still lived as of 2004. He attended The Stanway School in the town. At the age of 17 he joined Ipswich Town
as a trainee. At around the same time he was called up to represent Northern Ireland
at under-18 level, qualifying by virtue of the fact that his maternal grandfather was born in the country.
in August 2000. He played for the Essex
club's reserve team
, which led to him being offered a professional contract, but Alan Little was dismissed as the club's manager shortly afterwards, and the offer of a contract was withdrawn. In October 2000, Miller was released from his contract at Ipswich and dropped into non-league football
, joining Canvey Island
of the Isthmian League
. In the 2000–01
season he made 36 appearances for the "Gulls" and helped the team reach the final of the FA Trophy
, although he was an unused substitute for Canvey's victory over Forest Green Rovers
in the final. The following season he was a key member of the team that finished second in the Isthmian League Premier Division, playing 48 times in total.
In August 2002, after two final games for Canvey, he moved to Grays Athletic
in a swap deal which saw Jeff Minton
go in the opposite direction. Although he played 26 times for Grays in the 2002–03
season, scoring six goals, he was made available for transfer at the end of the season. He joined Gravesend & Northfleet
in September 2003, but played just four games for the club before moving on to Aldershot Town
a month later. His form at Aldershot won him The Non-League Paper
's Young Player of the Year award for the 2003–04
season, and also led to a call-up to the England National Game XI in February 2004, although it was to be his only cap
for the semi-professional national team.
In November 2004, Miller played for Aldershot against the reserve team of Queens Park Rangers
, the team he had supported since childhood. Rangers manager Ian Holloway
, who had received promising reports about Miller from scouts
, was sufficiently impressed to sign the player after watching him in person. Although the exact amount was undisclosed, the transfer fee was the highest ever received by Aldershot Town. Miller made his Football League
debut on 4 December 2004 in a 2–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest
, and played in more than half of the team's remaining league matches that season. By late September 2005, he had made just one league appearances since the start of the season, and was sent to Peterborough United
on what was originally intended to be a three month loan. A month later he was recalled to Loftus Road
, but he was not to feature again in the Rangers team. In January 2006, he had a brief trial with Oxford United
but the following week he joined Stevenage Borough
of the Conference National
, initially on an 18-month contract.
Miller featured regularly for Stevenage, and was in the starting line-up for the 2007 FA Trophy final, the first competitive match at the new Wembley Stadium
, in which Borough came back from two goals down to beat Kidderminster Harriers
and win the Trophy.
Stevenage manager, Mark Stimson
, was appointed as the new manager of Gillingham
in November 2007, and quickly moved to sign Miller and his team-mate John Nutter
on loan. Miller made his debut for the Kent
club in the 2–1 home win over Hartlepool United
on 24 November 2007, and signed a permanent contract in January 2008, set to keep him at the club until 2010. During the team's ultimately unsuccessful struggle to avoid relegation
from League One
in the 2007–08
season, Miller was identified as a key player and singled out for praise by Stimson, who said "If eight players play like Adam Miller we won't be in this position but if we've only got one or two we will be". The following season he remained a regular selection in Stimson's team, acting as captain in Barry Fuller
's absence, but injury kept him out of the team at the end of the season as Gillingham clinched a place in, and ultimately promotion through, the play offs. In the 2009–10
season, however, he failed to hold down a regular place in the team, and in November 2009 went to Dagenham & Redbridge
on a one month loan. Miller's debut for Dagenham came on 14 November in a 1–0 away win against Accrington Stanley
. He returned to Gillingham at the end of his loan spell, but Stimaon announced that the club was considering paying off the remainder of the player's contract. Despite this, Miller played regularly during the remainder of the 2009–10
season. At the end of the season he left Gillingham and joined Cambridge United
. Miller played several times at the start of the 2010–11 campaign, but was seriously injured in early September against Eastbourne Borough
.
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
. He began his career with Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
but failed to make the first team and played for several non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
teams before joining Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, where he made his Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
debut in December 2004. He later joined Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
, but followed manager Mark Stimson
Mark Stimson
Mark Nicholas Stimson is an English former footballer and current manager of Kettering Town. He signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1985, but was unable to gain a regular place in the team. In 1989, he moved on to Newcastle United, where he made over 80 appearances in...
to Gillingham in late 2007. He has represented the England National Game XI and played at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in the final of the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
.
Early life
Miller was born in Hemel HempsteadHemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
, but grew up in the Monkwick district of Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, where his family still lived as of 2004. He attended The Stanway School in the town. At the age of 17 he joined Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
as a trainee. At around the same time he was called up to represent Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
at under-18 level, qualifying by virtue of the fact that his maternal grandfather was born in the country.
Career
Miller proved unable to break into Ipswich's first team and was permitted to undertake a trial with Southend UnitedSouthend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
in August 2000. He played for the Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
club's reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
, which led to him being offered a professional contract, but Alan Little was dismissed as the club's manager shortly afterwards, and the offer of a contract was withdrawn. In October 2000, Miller was released from his contract at Ipswich and dropped into non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
, joining Canvey Island
Canvey Island F.C.
Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English football club founded in 1926 that play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
of the Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
. In the 2000–01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
season he made 36 appearances for the "Gulls" and helped the team reach the final of the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
, although he was an unused substitute for Canvey's victory over Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers F.C.
Forest Green Rovers Football Club is an English football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, currently the longest-serving members of the Conference National. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.-Early years:...
in the final. The following season he was a key member of the team that finished second in the Isthmian League Premier Division, playing 48 times in total.
In August 2002, after two final games for Canvey, he moved to Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
in a swap deal which saw Jeff Minton
Jeff Minton
Jeffrey "Jeff" Minton is an English former footballer. His career in the Football League, between 1992 and 2002, saw him play for Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, Port Vale, Rotherham United and Leyton Orient.-Playing career:...
go in the opposite direction. Although he played 26 times for Grays in the 2002–03
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
season, scoring six goals, he was made available for transfer at the end of the season. He joined Gravesend & Northfleet
Gravesend & Northfleet F.C.
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is an English professional football team currently playing in the Conference National. The team plays their home matches at Stonebridge Road in Northfleet, Kent. However, the club is now looking to build a new stadium in the Ebbsfleet Valley vicinity in...
in September 2003, but played just four games for the club before moving on to Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
a month later. His form at Aldershot won him The Non-League Paper
The Non-League Paper
The Non-League Paper is a weekly British sportspaper based on non-League football.-External links:*...
's Young Player of the Year award for the 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season, and also led to a call-up to the England National Game XI in February 2004, although it was to be his only cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the semi-professional national team.
In November 2004, Miller played for Aldershot against the reserve team of Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, the team he had supported since childhood. Rangers manager Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway
Ian Scott Holloway is an English football manager and former player. He became the manager of Blackpool in May 2009. Holloway is well-known amongst football fans for his off-the-wall interviews, with a wide selection of quotes and soundbites being printed. Holloway's playing career spanned 18...
, who had received promising reports about Miller from scouts
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
, was sufficiently impressed to sign the player after watching him in person. Although the exact amount was undisclosed, the transfer fee was the highest ever received by Aldershot Town. Miller made his Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
debut on 4 December 2004 in a 2–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, and played in more than half of the team's remaining league matches that season. By late September 2005, he had made just one league appearances since the start of the season, and was sent to Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on what was originally intended to be a three month loan. A month later he was recalled to Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
, but he was not to feature again in the Rangers team. In January 2006, he had a brief trial with Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
but the following week he joined Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
of the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, initially on an 18-month contract.
Miller featured regularly for Stevenage, and was in the starting line-up for the 2007 FA Trophy final, the first competitive match at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, in which Borough came back from two goals down to beat Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
and win the Trophy.
Stevenage manager, Mark Stimson
Mark Stimson
Mark Nicholas Stimson is an English former footballer and current manager of Kettering Town. He signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1985, but was unable to gain a regular place in the team. In 1989, he moved on to Newcastle United, where he made over 80 appearances in...
, was appointed as the new manager of Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in November 2007, and quickly moved to sign Miller and his team-mate John Nutter
John Nutter
John Robert William Nutter is an English footballer who plays for Lincoln City. He has also played for Blackburn Rovers, Aldershot Town, St Albans City, Grays Athletic, Stevenage Borough and Wycombe Wanderers.-Career:...
on loan. Miller made his debut for the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
club in the 2–1 home win over Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
on 24 November 2007, and signed a permanent contract in January 2008, set to keep him at the club until 2010. During the team's ultimately unsuccessful struggle to avoid relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
in the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season, Miller was identified as a key player and singled out for praise by Stimson, who said "If eight players play like Adam Miller we won't be in this position but if we've only got one or two we will be". The following season he remained a regular selection in Stimson's team, acting as captain in Barry Fuller
Barry Fuller
Barry Marc Fuller is an English footballer, currently playing for Gillingham as a defender, favoured as right-back....
's absence, but injury kept him out of the team at the end of the season as Gillingham clinched a place in, and ultimately promotion through, the play offs. In the 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
season, however, he failed to hold down a regular place in the team, and in November 2009 went to Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
on a one month loan. Miller's debut for Dagenham came on 14 November in a 1–0 away win against Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
. He returned to Gillingham at the end of his loan spell, but Stimaon announced that the club was considering paying off the remainder of the player's contract. Despite this, Miller played regularly during the remainder of the 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
season. At the end of the season he left Gillingham and joined Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
. Miller played several times at the start of the 2010–11 campaign, but was seriously injured in early September against Eastbourne Borough
Eastbourne Borough F.C.
Eastbourne Borough are a semi-professional English football club, based in the town of Eastbourne, East Sussex, and are members of the Conference South. They are known as The Sports after their previous name as Langney Sports. Eastbourne Borough play their home matches at Priory Lane in Langney...
.
Honours
- FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
: 2001, 2007
External links
- Adam Miller player profile at gillinghamfootballclub.com