Rising star Lennon Miller has got Scottish football talking – and it’s no wonder after his rapid rise at Motherwell.
The likes of Celtic and Rangers have been said to be considering going in for a January raid on the 18-year-old after his scintillating start to the campaign with clubs across Europe also known to to be keeping tabs on the prospect. The Fir Park side are believed to be holding out for a record sale of Miller in the region of £4million. Boss Stuart Kettlewell clearly values him highly having handed him the armband in the blockbuster Premier Sports Cup semi-final with Rangers.
He is the man of the moment and is the next wonderkid to emerge from the Lanarkshire conveyor belt of talent – with the Steelmen no strangers to seeing their talented kids be snapped up in recent years. But what can Miller learn from those who came before him? He could stay beyond the January window to ramp up his game time but it feels inevitable that he will soon leave.
Record Sport takes a look at the latest player to graduate from the Motherwell academy and follows a path that could be on offer to the wonderkid when the transfer window opens in January.
David Turnbull (Celtic)
David Turnbull left Celtic in January for Cardiff City following three-and-a-half successful years at Parkhead. After signing for the Hoops at the age of 21 in a £3million move, he contributed to two Premiership title victories as well as getting his hands on two Scottish Cup trophies and League Cup winners’ medals as well as winning his first full international Scotland cap in 2021.
Despite a bulging personal trophy cabinet, Turnbull struggled for regular game time during his final six months in Glasgow’s east end following the arrival of Brendan Rodgers. Celtic opted to sell for £2m with Turnbull approaching the end of his deal.
Reflecting on his time at Celtic, the playmaker said: “Maybe the last six months to a year hasn’t been the way I wanted it. To come to a team like Cardiff is a great move for myself. It’s about trying to replicate some things I have done before and putting my own style on to the team.”
After an injury-hampered season this term in Wales, Turnbull has now started the last three games. He converted the only goal for Cardiff in the 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers before the international break.
Jake Hastie (Rangers)
The winger was one of the hottest prospects in Scottish football when he left Fir Park as a 20-year-old free agent to sign for Rangers. However, he struggled to make any kind of impact at the club and was shipped out on a number of loan spells away from the club by Steven Gerrard.
He was sent to Rotherham just months after signing but failed to impress in England and was sent back to Ibrox in January. The wide man then made a return to Well on loan the following summer on a season-long loan but managed just 14 appearances in all competitions before returning to Govan.
Ill-fated loan spells at Partick Thistle and Linfield would follow before he permanently left Rangers in June 2022 for Hartlepool – making just two appearances in light blue. Since then he has returned north of the border, first joining Hamilton Accies on loan before a permanent switch to Ayr United. He has made most of his appearances for Scott Brown’s side this season off the bench.
Allan Campbell (England)
Allan Campbell became a firm fan favourite after leaving Motherwell – where he had been since the age of 10 – in 2021 for Luton Town. Then aged 22, he played a key part in the run to the Championship play-off semi-final’s in his debut campaign at Kenilworth Road – and played his part in helping the side reach the Premier League just a year later.
However, after reaching the promised land in England, Hatters boss Rob Edwards would deny him the change to make his mark on the top flight. Instead, he spent the season on loan at Millwall making just 12 appearances for the London outfit. Campbell has been sent on loan to Charlton this term but is enduring another tough campaign – managing just eight appearance so far this season.
Max Johnston (Europe)
Aged 19, Max Johnston opted to take the road less travelled at the end of his Motherwell contract as he penned a deal with Sturm Graz in 2023. In his first campaign, he made his European debut in the Europa Conference League while lifting a league and cup double in his debut campaign in Austria – as well as earning his first call-up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland cap.
This season he has only continued his rise. Johnston has been a regular for the club racking up Champions League appearances while helping this side move to the top of the table once again.
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