FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Liam Miller has been selected to join up with an All Star team to take on the Premier League champions in Sydney.
The Cork native, who was perhaps unwisely compared to Roy Keane when he signed with United in 2004, has been named in a 20-man A League All Star squad. Now aged 32, Miller is playing in Australia with Brisbane Roar.
Miller starred for Glasgow Celtic in the Champions League and was signed by Alex Ferguson in the same summer that he snapped up Alan Smith from Leeds United. He failed to hold down a starting slot with the Red Devils and made just 22 appearances, many of which were from the bench or in League Cup action.
He was loaned out to Leeds United before being permanently signed by Sunderland in 2006. He featured 57 times for the Black Cats but had several run-ins with Keane, who was then managing the club, and was transfer-listed in 2008. Miller moved on to QPR then Hibernian before heading Down Under. He played 50 times for Perth Glory in the A League before Brisbane Roar signed him on a free transfer.
The midfielder was selected for Irish squads for several of Giovanni Trapattoni’s first matches in charge of the national team. The Italian went so far as to include Miller in squads for vital games when he was without a club [before his QPR to Hibernian move]. In 2009, Miller told The Scotsman, “I am very grateful to [Trapattoni]. He didn’t need to pick me in the squad but he showed faith in me.” He was capped 21 times for Ireland but has not featured since late in 2009.
Alessandro Del Piero was also selected, by fans, for the All Star team but he is currently on holidays in Italy. The other player of note in the squad for Saturday’s game is former Blackburn midfielder Brett Emerton.
Emerton commented, “We have a squad full of talented players. We’re coming up against a very good team so it’s going to be a great test for us, but we’re all looking forward to it.”
