Miller Time due to come around again

Liam Mackey

"A dream come true," is how he describes a career which has seen him swap the green and white hoops of Glasgow Celtic for the red of Manchester United, the two clubs he supported as a boy. At Celtic last season he caught the eye with memorable performances in the Champions League and SPL, doing more than enough to secure his senior international call-up and a move to Old Trafford. The headline writers (and a certain brewing company) had a field day - from Wednesday to Saturday, it seemed to be Miller Time all the time.

But this season the player has come up against some of the harsher realities of football, injuries and a battle for a place in United's congested midfield creating bumps in his career path. During the summer he underwent a groin operation and, more recently, there was the torn calf muscle which forced him to withdraw from Ireland's opening two games in the World Cup. In Dublin for the announcement of a sponsorship deal with Puma, and with just five days to go to Le Crunch in Paris, his state of fitness is top of the agenda before he heads off to link up with Brian Kerr's squad for training in Malahide.