Liam Miller left a lasting impression on Man United boss

As a man whose knowledge of players in all quarters of the globe is always said to be encyclopaedic, there was something about Sir Alex Ferguson’s supposed first encounter with Liam Miller that didn’t quite ring true.

The date was November 5, 2003. As befitted the night in question, Celtic sparkled in their Champions League group match with Anderlecht.

The result, a resounding 3-1 win, was illuminated by the young Irishman fizzing a sumptuous left-foot strike past Daniel Zitka after taking John Hartson’s cushioned header in his stride.

The game did little to enhance the reputation of Vincent Kompany, the 17-year-old central defender Ferguson was primarily in town to cast his eye over.

But the Manchester United manager still left with his notebook full and his intentions clear: To Celtic’s chagrin, Miller would be made an offer he couldn’t refuse to come to Old Trafford the following summer.

The urban myth that arose from the game is that Miller’s midfield prowess caught Ferguson by surprise. This can be dismissed on two counts: Firstly, because of the very nature of the man in question. And secondly, Miller had already showcased his talents to the wider audience two months previously.

Celtic’s destruction of Lyon in Glasgow the previous September was one of the most complete displays of the Martin O’Neill era. Miller was only a 64th-minute replacement for Hartson that night but his impact was enormous.

Timing his late run into the box to perfection, he ghosted between two central defenders to guide Henrik Larsson’s heat-seeking cross home with a clinical downward header.

Three years after making his first appearance for Celtic from the bench in a win over Dundee United, Miller had become an overnight sensation.

Holding on to him beyond a deal that was due to expire the following summer would prove a matter beyond even O’Neill’s legendary powers of persuasion.

As it became clear in the coming weeks the player’s head had been turned by the English giants, Celtic were heavily criticised for failing to protect an asset.

Truthfully, only with the benefit of hindsight could anyone have foreseen the kind of impact the man from Cork would make. By the time Celtic realised what they had on their hands, the genie was out of the bottle.

Just 19 when O’Neill arrived at Celtic from Leicester City in 2000, Miller soon found players of the ilk of Paul Lambert, Neil Lennon and Stilian Petrov ahead of him.

He moved to Aarhus in Denmark in search of regular football the following year but played only two games in 2002-03 — a UEFA Cup match against FK Suduva and a League Cup tie with Inverness — a paltry return given the pressure on the squad as they went all the way to the final in Seville.

By the start of the following year, though, Miller had O’Neill’s trust. He played 40 times for Celtic that season and forced his way into the full Ireland side.

As much as his departure under freedom of contract created a rumpus on this side of the border, he was the lowest profile of Ferguson’s summer signings. Wayne Rooney, Gabriel Heinze and Alan Smith stole his thunder.

If the financial motive behind playing for the English side he’d supported as a boy made sense, the footballing argument was harder to buy.

United’s central midfield when he put pen to paper was Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. Splitting the atom might have been easier. Unsurprisingly, opportunities were limited.

‘It happened so quickly,’ he later recalled. ‘It wasn’t like I knew United were interested for weeks or months. It was around the January transfer window, so I went down and was shown around Carrington and spoke to everyone at the club.

‘It was impressive. Anyone would find it impressive. An opportunity like that doesn’t come around too often. Looking back, I thought it would be a great place to play football.’

He played 19 times in his first season as United finished third behind Chelsea and Arsenal and three times at the outset of 2005-06. An appearance in the League Cup against Barnet was his last in a United shirt.

In November 2005, he crossed the Pennines to join Leeds United on loan and was a fulcrum of the side which reached the play-off final only to lose to Watford.

He went one better the following year, though. Having hung up his boots, Keane’s first crack at management came at Sunderland, with Miller among his first recruits.

It started spectacularly as the Black Cats pipped Birmingham to the Championship title. But Keane and his charges found the going tougher in the top flight.

By February 2008, the relationship between the men from the same corner of Ireland had become strained, apparently over Miller’s poor time-keeping. The transfer list beckoned.

Miller did play for Sunderland again, though, helping them to the safety of 15th that season and even saw Keane off the premises before joining Queens Park Rangers in January 2009 as his deal at the Stadium of Light wound down. His five years in the English game were not without their highlights, but nor did he fulfil the boundless promise he had upon moving to United.

‘I have no regrets over leaving Celtic when I did. It was the right move for me,’ he later reflected.

John Hughes, the manager of Hibs, could not believe his luck when the chance presented itself to sign Miller for free in 2009.

‘It was like winning the lottery as the window had closed,’ recalled Hughes.

The figure Hughes encountered was a far cry from the one whose reputation had suffered under Keane at Sunderland. With Miller pulling the strings, Hibs were a joy to watch in 2009-10 as they finished fourth.

Australian side Perth Glory offered him a two-year deal and a change of scenery in 2011. His time Down Under was extended by stints with Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City. He returned home to Cork City two years ago, finishing runners-up in the league and the FAI Cup.

He joined American side Wilmington Hammerheads last year and was about to impart his vast knowledge as a coach with Los Angeles Premier when he was diagnosed with cancer aged 36.

On Friday night, his brave fight against his illness sadly came to an end.