Post by QPR Report on Oct 31, 2009 12:54:45 GMT
Scotsman
Liam Miller bargain never ceases to amaze Hibs boss Hughes
31 October 2009
By DAVID HARDIE
HIBS boss John Hughes today admitted he still has to pinch himself in disbelief at having snapped up Republic of Ireland midfield star Liam Miller for nothing.
Hughes caught everyone by surprise in convincing a player who once turned down a £20,000 a week offer from Celtic in favour of a move to Manchester United, to sign a two-year contract at Easter Road.
His arrival followed the summer captures of countryman Anthony Stokes, former Falkirk midfielders Kevin McBride and Patrick Cregg, former Manchester United kid Danny Galbraith and goalkeeper Graham Stack.
The 28-year-old has already become a firm favourite with Hibs fans as they have watched their side power into third place in the SPL table, leading Hughes to express his amazement that someone of Miller's ability started the season without a club.
Released by Queens Park Rangers in May having earlier seen a switch from Old Trafford to Sunderland turn sour, Miller appeared to have totally dropped off the radar as managers up and down the country finalised their squads for the coming campaign.
But Hughes revealed today he became aware of Miller's availability as the player himself phoned him out of the blue.
"Liam is a close friend of Graham Barrett, who I had at Falkirk and is now with Shamrock Rovers and is doing a bit of work as an agent. So there I was sitting in the house one night when the phone went and it was Liam at the other end.
"I think Graham must have given us a right good reference. In any case, we talked about a couple of things and he said he wanted to enjoy his football again.
"I don't think he'd been doing that for the last year or so, he'd seen the side of football that's not so pleasant. He just wanted to be playing with a smile on his face."
Hughes, however, made a few checks of his own on the Cork-born star who had suffered a somewhat chequered career following his decision to quit Celtic for Manchester, including a call to his former manager at Sunderland, Ricky Sbragia.
The Hibs manager said: "Ricky asked me why I was phoning, that I shouldn't hesitate because Liam is everything you want at your football club."
And, Hughes insisted, he hasn't been disappointed. He said: "I've no doubt Liam is a millionaire but he wasn't hard to deal with. He wants to enjoy his football and it's great to see him running about with that smile on his face.
"There's no big-time Charlie about him, he is one of the most humble guys you could ever meet. That's what I want, Hibs as a working class club because to me it's working class values which make you the guy you are.
"There shouldn't be egos, my mentality has always been that anything you get out of football comes from putting everything you have into every day.
"Liam just goes about his business quietly, he has a word for all the young boys, he's first on the training pitch where he sets such high standards and one of the last off it.
"He's in there among the rest of the boys. It's becoming a bit like what you used to read about, albeit on a different scale, with Eric Cantona at Manchester United when he'd stay behind after training to work by himself.
"Then he was joined by two or three others and so on. I had the opening of a youth club to go to last Friday afternoon but got a phone call from Brian Rice (his assistant] at the training centre to say the players were still in the 'barn' playing head tennis.
"You sit there watching them go home at three o'clock rather than straight after training which is great, you want to see them enjoying each other's company, living in each other's pockets.
"I keep saying I don't believe we signed him for nothing but it's self-explanatory. When he came here he needed games under his belt. He's there now and is probably one who needs a rest because he has worked so hard.
"We did one of our regular fitness tests the other day and it came as no surprise to find Liam was at the top, he has a fantastic engine."
sport.scotsman.com/football/Liam-Miller-bargain-never-ceases.5783936.jp
Liam Miller bargain never ceases to amaze Hibs boss Hughes
31 October 2009
By DAVID HARDIE
HIBS boss John Hughes today admitted he still has to pinch himself in disbelief at having snapped up Republic of Ireland midfield star Liam Miller for nothing.
Hughes caught everyone by surprise in convincing a player who once turned down a £20,000 a week offer from Celtic in favour of a move to Manchester United, to sign a two-year contract at Easter Road.
His arrival followed the summer captures of countryman Anthony Stokes, former Falkirk midfielders Kevin McBride and Patrick Cregg, former Manchester United kid Danny Galbraith and goalkeeper Graham Stack.
The 28-year-old has already become a firm favourite with Hibs fans as they have watched their side power into third place in the SPL table, leading Hughes to express his amazement that someone of Miller's ability started the season without a club.
Released by Queens Park Rangers in May having earlier seen a switch from Old Trafford to Sunderland turn sour, Miller appeared to have totally dropped off the radar as managers up and down the country finalised their squads for the coming campaign.
But Hughes revealed today he became aware of Miller's availability as the player himself phoned him out of the blue.
"Liam is a close friend of Graham Barrett, who I had at Falkirk and is now with Shamrock Rovers and is doing a bit of work as an agent. So there I was sitting in the house one night when the phone went and it was Liam at the other end.
"I think Graham must have given us a right good reference. In any case, we talked about a couple of things and he said he wanted to enjoy his football again.
"I don't think he'd been doing that for the last year or so, he'd seen the side of football that's not so pleasant. He just wanted to be playing with a smile on his face."
Hughes, however, made a few checks of his own on the Cork-born star who had suffered a somewhat chequered career following his decision to quit Celtic for Manchester, including a call to his former manager at Sunderland, Ricky Sbragia.
The Hibs manager said: "Ricky asked me why I was phoning, that I shouldn't hesitate because Liam is everything you want at your football club."
And, Hughes insisted, he hasn't been disappointed. He said: "I've no doubt Liam is a millionaire but he wasn't hard to deal with. He wants to enjoy his football and it's great to see him running about with that smile on his face.
"There's no big-time Charlie about him, he is one of the most humble guys you could ever meet. That's what I want, Hibs as a working class club because to me it's working class values which make you the guy you are.
"There shouldn't be egos, my mentality has always been that anything you get out of football comes from putting everything you have into every day.
"Liam just goes about his business quietly, he has a word for all the young boys, he's first on the training pitch where he sets such high standards and one of the last off it.
"He's in there among the rest of the boys. It's becoming a bit like what you used to read about, albeit on a different scale, with Eric Cantona at Manchester United when he'd stay behind after training to work by himself.
"Then he was joined by two or three others and so on. I had the opening of a youth club to go to last Friday afternoon but got a phone call from Brian Rice (his assistant] at the training centre to say the players were still in the 'barn' playing head tennis.
"You sit there watching them go home at three o'clock rather than straight after training which is great, you want to see them enjoying each other's company, living in each other's pockets.
"I keep saying I don't believe we signed him for nothing but it's self-explanatory. When he came here he needed games under his belt. He's there now and is probably one who needs a rest because he has worked so hard.
"We did one of our regular fitness tests the other day and it came as no surprise to find Liam was at the top, he has a fantastic engine."
sport.scotsman.com/football/Liam-Miller-bargain-never-ceases.5783936.jp