Ishmael Miller
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (September 2011) |
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ishmael Anthony Miller | ||
Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Nottingham Forest | ||
Number | 9 | ||
Youth career | |||
Manchester City | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2005–2008 | Manchester City | 17 | (1) |
2007–2008 | → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 21 | (7) |
2008–2011 | West Bromwich Albion | 70 | (7) |
2011 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 12 | (1) |
2011– | Nottingham Forest | 13 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 October 2011 |
Ishmael Anthony Miller (born 5 March 1987) is an English footballer who plays for Nottingham Forest. A striker, he has a large, muscular build and is known for his powerful left foot.
Career
Manchester City
Born in Moston, Manchester, Miller signed professionally with Manchester City at the beginning of the 2005–06 season,[1] and featured in a number of pre-season games for the first team. A number of impressive displays for the reserve team led to a competitive first team debut, as a substitute in an Premier League match against Wigan Athletic on 18 March 2006. Miller made no further first team appearances that season, but was leading goalscorer for the reserves.
Miller featured regularly in Manchester City's first team pre-season matches in July and August 2006, including a goal in a friendly against Wrexham. He then proceeded to make substitute appearances in four of Manchester City's first six games of the season, and made his full debut on 23 September 2006 in a 2–0 victory over West Ham, and started the move which led to the opening goal. Although known as a striker in youth and reserve football, Miller first played for the Manchester City first team as an attacking midfielder.
West Bromwich Albion (loan)
On 18 July 2007, Miller had been linked with a move to Preston North End. On 13 August 2007, West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray confirmed that he was interested in taking Miller on a season-long loan.[2] On 15 August Miller completed a season long loan to West Brom with a view to a permanent transfer. "Ishmael will give us a different option up front," Mowbray predicted. "He's a big, quick, powerful lad who is looking for an opportunity to play more regularly. He will increase competition for places with the other strikers we've already got at the club." He scored on his debut for West Bromwich Albion with an individual effort in their 2–0 home win against Preston North End on 18 August. He had been on the pitch for only seven minutes, having replaced Kevin Phillips, the other scorer in the game, in the 66th minute.[3] He scored on his first start for Albion against Ipswich Town and helped the team to a 4–0 victory, before scoring twice in Albion's 4–2 home loss to Cardiff City. Miller's form during October led to his nomination for Championship player of the month, but the award went to Stoke City's on-loan defender Ryan Shawcross.[4] He was further recognised later in November, when he received his first call-up to the England under-21s.[5]
Return to City
In a 5 October interview, City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson confirmed that Miller was still part of his long-term plans. Amongst other things, Eriksson said, "We talked about it and we could not see why he should not have a new contract with us, but we were very keen that he go out on loan and it’s working out very well for him" (referring to Miller's new three year contract signed with Manchester City just as he went on loan), and "I saw the game (Queens Park Rangers) on TV last Sunday, and I thought he was fantastic. When he scored he went looking for someone, which I thought it would be his family or his girlfriend – but then they showed Micah Richards jumping up and down in the crowd!" .[6]
West Bromwich Albion
On the last day of the January 2008 transfer window, Miller signed on a permanent deal to West Brom on a 3½ year contract, for a fee that could rise to £1.4 million.[7] On 9 March 2008 he scored a hat-trick in Albion's 5–1 win at Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup quarter-final.[8] He scored his first Premier League goal in the 2–1 loss to Newcastle on 28 October 2008. His goal in the following game, a 2–2 draw against Blackburn Rovers, earned him the West Bromwich Albion Goal of the Season award.[9] In December 2008, Miller sustained a serious injury to his knee (cruciate ligament) in a collision with Portsmouth goalkeeper David James and missed the rest of the 2008–09 season.[10] On 8 January 2010, he made his long-awaited comeback after almost 14 months out as a second half substitute against Nottingham Forest.
Queen's Park Rangers (loan)
The arrival of Peter Odemwingie and Marc-Antoine Fortune, plus West Brom's preference to operate with a lone striker, restricted Miller's chances of first team football at West Brom. On 21 January 2011, Miller joined Football League Championship leaders Queen's Park Rangers on a 93-day loan.[11] At the end of the loan period, he returned to West Bromwich Albion and made a substitute appearance in their defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 8 May 2011.
Nottingham Forest
On 6 August 2011, West Brom manager Roy Hodgson indicated that Ishmael Miller was poised to sign for Nottingham Forest and acknowledged the player's need for regular first team football.[12] However, although confirming initial negotiations had occurred with West Brom, Forest stressed that there had been no contact or talks as at that time with either the player or his agent.
On 13 August 2011, Nottingham Forest announced that Miller would sign a three-year contract with the club the following Monday.[13] Miller's transfer from West Brom to Forest was finalised on Monday 15 August. The transfer fee was an initial £1.2 million.[14][15] West Brom's Sporting & Technical Director, Dan Ashworth, stated: "This move is probably in the best interests of all parties because we can't guarantee Ishmael first-team football and this is a great opportunity for him to hopefully play regularly".[15] Miller said about the transfer: "I have got a point to prove. I've had a few injury problems over the last few years...I need to go out there and show what I can do. I'm relishing the new challenge at this stage of my career".[16]
Miller made his first appearance for Forest as a substitute on 16 August 2011 in an away 1-0 win against Doncaster Rovers.[17] On 24 August 2011, Miller scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup match against Wycombe Wanderers.[18]
In October 2011, Miller was charged with misconduct by the Football Association, and admitted the charge. It related to a post on his Twitter account.[19]
Honours
- Football League Championship
- Winner (1): 2010–11
References
- ^ "Ishmael Miller". FA Premier League. Retrieved October 22, 2006.
- ^ "West Brom sign Man City striker". BBC Sport. 15 August 2007.
- ^ "WBA vs Preston". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 18 August 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
- ^ "Shawcross receives October award". BBC Sport. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2007.
- ^ "Miller called up by U21s". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 15 November 2007.
- ^ "Ishmael's impact catches Sven's eye". Manchester City F.C. 5 October 2007.
- ^ "Miller completes £900,000 move". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ^ "Bristol Rovers vs WBA". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 9 March 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
- ^ "Ish collects his prize". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ "Nottingham Forest sign West Brom's Ishmael Miller". BBC Sport. 15 August 2011.
- ^ "QPR sign striker Ishmael Miller on loan". BBC Sport. 22 January 2011.
- ^ "Miller in line for Forest switch". wba.co.uk. West Bromwich Albion F.C. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ "Reds Poised To Land Miller". nottinghamforest.co.uk. Nottingham Forest F.C. 13 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ "Miller Deal Completed". nottinghamforest.co.uk. Nottingham Forest F.C. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Miller seals Forest switch". wba.co.uk. West Bromwich Albion F.C. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ "Ishmael's Aim". nottinghamforest.co.uk. Nottingham Forest F.C. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ "Doncaster Rovers 0 - 1 Nottm Forest". Nottingham Forest F.C. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ "Wycombe1–4 Nott'm Forest". BBC Sport. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ "Miller Admits FA Charge". nottinghamforest.co.uk. Nottingham Forest F.C. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
External links
- Ishmael Miller player profile at the Nottingham Forest website
- Ishmael Miller player profile at the West Bromwich Albion website
- Ishmael Miller at Soccerbase