He may come from Down Under but Lewis Miller is ready to go over and above in his quest for success with club and country this year.
The Hibs new boy enjoyed a close season which lasted just two days between being knocked out the Under-23 Asian Cup with Australia and heading to meet up with his new team-mates at their Portugal training base last week. But the lack of rest isn’t a concern for the big-hitting, hard tackling, ferocious full-back. Miller is in a hurry to reach the top – and good luck to anyone who gets in his way.
He’s got the World Cup as the target and Edinburgh derby rival Nat Atkinson in his sights. Hearts ace Atkinson is currently in possession of the right-back position for Graham Arnold’s Socceroos. But Miller insists he’ll do everything he can to be at Qatar 2022. The 21-year-old put in standout displays against Hartlepool and Burton Albion in the Algarve characterised by energetic forays down the flank and thunderous tackles in defence.
He said: “I love a tackle. The ball is there to be won and you’ve got to win it no matter the circumstances. I love football and I want to play at the top level and I know I can kill it here at Hibs and help the team be successful and play as high as we can. For defenders, big challenges and keeping the winger on the floor means you know you’ve done your job. That’s what we do.”
Miller has just three months to make his mark with Hibs if he wants to squeeze into Arnold’s Aussie squad for Qatar. But he continued: “There is a lot of competition at right-back in the Australia national team squad but obviously I’m going to play as hard as I can to make that squad.
“I believe I could fit that squad and with my ability I could play wherever. I’m going to give everything I can week in, week out, kill it at Hibs, get a few wins, get a profile for myself, and hopefully make the Socceroos squad for the World Cup. That’s the No.1 short-term goal – apart from winning every game with Hibs – and it would be a big achievement for me.”
Miller is just the latest A-League star to be plundered by a Premiership club after Hibs struck a deal with Macarthur FC. But it was with Central Coast Mariners that the Sydney-born star caught the eye and he admits his game reached another level after he bulked up during Covid lockdown.
He said: “When corona hit we were off training for about three to four weeks and I just took it as a phase when I was in the gym nearly every single day. I was eating right, and I just got bigger and bigger.
“The second football came back I had leaned down completely, gained a good size and luckily maintained all of my pace. The Scottish Premiership is very, very physical so it’s been hugely beneficial. I’ll be able to match anything that comes my way.
“Aussie Rules is one of the biggest sports in Australia, it’s just hard-hitting and whenever you’re on the pitch you just give it 110 per cent and forget about everything else that’s happening around you. That’s why we get signed, we just want to kill people and win, win, win no matter what.
“When you’re playing with that sort of adrenaline you go even harder so you think I hit hard in the pre-season games, wait until you see me in the Scottish Premiership. Fingers crossed for no cards but I’m not going to hold back, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.
“I want to really push myself, and challenge myself, to get to the next level and I had to get an overseas move. The Scottish Premiership from what I’ve seen is a great league and I’m keen to get started.”
