Alex Miller
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alex Miller | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Clydebank Strollers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1967–1982 | Rangers | 197 | (17) |
| 1983 | South China | ||
| 1983 | Morton | 8 | (1) |
| Total | 205 | (18) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1983 | South China | ||
| 1983 | Morton | ||
| 1983–1986 | St. Mirren | ||
| 1986–1996 | Hibernian | ||
| 1997–1998 | Aberdeen | ||
| 2008–2009 | JEF United Chiba | ||
| 2010 | AIK | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alex Miller (born 4 July 1949) is a Scottish association football coach and former player. As a player, he had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian. He subsequently worked for Premier League club Liverpool for nine years,[1] assisting Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benítez.
Playing career
As a player Miller started out his career with Clydebank Strollers before he made the move to Rangers. Miller played for Rangers from 1967 until 1982 before finishing his playing career in Hong Kong. He was something of a legend at Ibrox having played in a Scottish Cup Final despite having a broken jaw.[citation needed] He made 306 appearances during his spell at Rangers and scored 30 goals.
Coaching career
Miller was appointed as player-manager when he played briefly for South China in Hong Kong in 1983, but was unable to save the club from relegation.[2] He was then briefly manager of Greenock Morton in 1983 before contentiously joining their rivals from Paisley, St Mirren, who were at that time in a higher division.
Miller managed St Mirren from 1983 until 1986. He moulded a side that would win the Scottish Cup shortly after he resigned in season 1986–87. Success for him was qualifying for Europe. One of Saints all time great nights came in a European campaign when in 1985, Slavia Prague were knocked out after a 3–0 Saints win at home.
He was then manager of Hibernian from 1986 to 1996, through a "difficult" period in the clubs history.[3] He led Hibs to victory in the 1991 Scottish League Cup, beating Rangers in the semi finals (1–0) and Dunfermline Athletic in the final (2–0). Hibs qualified for the UEFA Cup, losing on the away goals rule to RSC Anderlecht. In 1993, Hibs were again in the final of the League Cup but this time lost out to Rangers (1–2). Hibs finished the 1994–95 season in third place in the league. Miller was sacked by Hibs in 1996, with some observers accusing him of having betrayed Hibs' "cavalier ideals".[1]
He then moved to Coventry City as assistant manager. A year later, unable to resist the challenge of being his own man again, he moved to Aberdeen taking over the manager's post from Roy Aitken. However this stint was not a successful one and he was replaced in 1998 by Paul Hegarty.
Miller joined English Premiership side Liverpool as Director of Scouting under Gérard Houllier in 1999. However, when Rafael Benítez was appointed manager of Liverpool in 2004, he overhauled the scouting system. Miller then subsequently worked as first team coach, before leaving Liverpool in May 2008 to manage Japanese side JEF United Chiba.[4] Despite taking over the club when they had taken just two points from eleven games, Miller managed to guide the team to safety from relegation.[5]. However, following a string of poor results in the next season, Miller's contract was terminated by the club in July 2009.[6]
Miller was appointed manager of Swedish team AIK in June 2010.[7] He left in November 2010 [8]
Managerial record
| Team | From | To | Games | Won | Lost | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mirren | 01-08-1983 | 16-12-1986 | ||||
| Hibernian | 15-11-1986 | 30-09-1996 | ||||
| Aberdeen | 21-11-1997 | 08-12-1998 | 43 | 11 | 19 | 13 |
| AIK | 22-06-2010 | 10-11-2010 | 24 | 9 | 11 | 4 |
Personal life
Two of Miller's sons, Graeme and Greg, both played for Hibs while Miller was manager there. Miller also employed Greg as a coach while he was manager of JEF United Chiba.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Saturday Interview: Miller's outlook brighter after stint in Land of Rising Sun, The Scotsman, 10 October 2009.
- ^ 莫逸風, 黃海榮 (2008). 香港足球誌. Hong Kong: 上書房 UP Publications. pp. 115–116. ISBN 978-98-17735-2-4.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Club History, Hibernian official site.
- ^ "Rafa confirms Miller departure". Liverpoolfc.tv. 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
- ^ "Miller time in Japan". BBC Sport. 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ Miller axed as JEF United coach, BBC Sport.
- ^ "Swedes go for Miller". Scottish Sun. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ Mellerborg, Stefan. "Alex Miller och AIK Fotboll går skilda vägar". AIK Football. Retrieved 10 November 2010. Template:Sv icon
External links
- Living people
- 1949 births
- People from Glasgow
- Scottish footballers
- Scottish expatriate footballers
- Association football defenders
- Scottish Football League players
- Hong Kong First Division League players
- Rangers F.C. players
- South China AA footballers
- Greenock Morton F.C. players
- Scottish football managers
- AIK Fotboll managers
- South China AA managers
- Greenock Morton F.C. managers
- St. Mirren F.C. managers
- British expatriates in Hong Kong
- Hibernian F.C. managers
- Scottish expatriates in Hong Kong
- Aberdeen F.C. managers
- Liverpool F.C. non-playing staff
- JEF United Ichihara Chiba managers
- Expatriate football managers in Japan
- Expatriate football managers in Sweden
- Greenock Morton F.C. non-playing staff