Motherwell chief Brian Caldwell has warned Lennon Miller’s suitors the Fir Park club are in no rush to cash in on their prize asset.
Celtic and Rangers are among the clubs eyeing the 18-year-old playmaker while Record Sport revealed last week that Southampton were keeping tabs on the Scotland U21 international. But Caldwell says he will only leave Lanarkshire when the time is right for the club – and the player.
Miller’s stunning rise from the academy to first team at Motherwell cranked up another gear last month when he was handed the captain’s armband in the absence of injured Paul McGinn and Stephen O’Donnell. The teenager is contracted until 2026 and it’s understood Well wouldn’t budge for anything less than a club record fee – with their current biggest sale the £3.25m banked from Celtic for David Turnbull in 2020.
Earlier this week new Well chairman Kyrk MacMillan said they wanted Miller to stay with the club as long as possible. And now chief executive Caldwell has told interested clubs they’ll not sell on the cheap.
He said: “We are all realistic to realise there will come a time when Lennon will move on. He is an extremely talented player who we all see every week. But that time will only come when the deal is right for the club and the player. We have a really good relationship with his agent. We spoke only last week. We’re not in a rush to sell Lennon, we don’t need to sell him.
“But it’s not all about us, it’s about Lennon too. He is playing games every week which is the most important thing for his development and if he continues to develop the way he is we understand for his own development he’d probably need to go to a higher level. We need to bide our time and make sure when that time comes it’s the right deal for the club and the player.”
Miller has made 18 appearances this season and worn the armband for the last two of those. The midfielder is currently on Scotland U19 duty. And Caldwell added: “Stuart Kettlewell made him captain with the injuries and he has taken that without any difficulty which just shows his temperament. For a boy of 18 to be able to handle all that without being fazed in any way is testament to his character.”
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