Lennon Miller has had to grow up fast. The Motherwell prospect’s talent has long outstripped his years, and at just 16, his manager could resist the urge to throw him into the Fir Park first team no longer.
He admits that despite some sparkling form on the pitch, he felt like ‘a wee boy’ for much of his full debut campaign. Now 17, and coming into his second season as a fixture of Stuart Kettlewell’s starting XI, he feels he is becoming a man. And with good reason.
His performance against Clyde on Saturday spoke volumes about his development. His talent has never been in question, and his vision, composure and technique were on display once more, particularly when he converted an emphatic penalty. But over and above that, he was barking orders at teammates, and handling the rather robust approach that his opponents were adopting to try and dull his influence.
As is natural when a player shows such potential, he has also had to deal with speculation over his future. Rangers have watched the midfielder over the summer and are sure to have been impressed by what they have seen.
He seems to be taking it all in his stride, though, and his growing confidence and presence on the field is a sign that he is maturing nicely.
“That’s came probably from the start of this season,” Miller said.
“Last season, I was probably kind of tentative like a wee boy, but I feel like this season I have kind of grown up and I have got the leadership skills.
“It can be hard to show that as a young boy coming into the first team, it’s tough because there are so many experienced players there and you are a young boy.
“But they all respect the young boys, and as a young boy you need to help them as well as them helping you.
“Obviously playing games is obviously going to come with confidence, and scoring the odd goal is obviously going to boost that as well, so I’m feeling confident.”
Speaking of goals, that is something he wants to add on a more consistent basis. For all the plaudits he received last season, he didn’t find the net in the Premiership.
“I scored two in the League Cup last year and then I never scored any in the league, but this year I want to score in the league and boost my numbers for assists and goals,” he said.
“Playing a little bit further forward against Clyde, I should probably have scored more than the one, but that will come during the season hopefully.
“I was playing as a six most of last year and I wasn’t hitting the box when I probably could have, I was probably playing more reserved.
“This year it’s just about going into the box and trying to get goals and assists, and helping the team that way.”
He may also have to get used to being a marked man, and perhaps more of the same physical treatment that he was subject to against Clyde.
“It’s part of the game,” he said.
“A lower league opposition is going to be right up for it, it’s their cup final.
“They are going to be up for second balls and they are going to be challenging you, that’s part of the game, but it’s part of the game I enjoy.
“It was a different challenge for me and a different challenge for everybody, because they were probably a bit more direct than what we will face in the league.
“It’s a challenge that we should have stepped up to better, and we probably could have dealt with better.
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“Fair play to Clyde, they threw balls in our box and made it uncomfortable for us, and we were lucky to get through the other side.”
Motherwell fans will be hoping they get to enjoy Miller’s talents for a good while longer yet, and you sense the player would be content to stay at Fir Park for at least another season to hone his craft through exposure to regular first team football.
Certainly, he seems unfazed by the reported interest in prying him away from Lanarkshire.
“When you are doing well at a young age then you are obviously going to get speculation,” he said.
“But for me, it’s just about focusing on a Saturday or any game that we play and doing the best I can.”
