The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
It’s game on for new signing Miller despite Dee setback
Wideman wants to kick on and help Dark Blues climb table during Dens loan spell
DUNDEE 1 MOTHERWELL 3
Calvin Miller admitted he was determined not to “wait about” at Celtic with Kieran Tierney ahead of him in the left-back pecking order and instead was keen to propel his career forward on loan at Dundee.
The 20-year-old came on in the 57th minute of Saturday’s game with Motherwell at Dens after signing his deal with the Dark Blues just 24 hours earlier.
In the build-up to the match, much of the talk had been about his namesake Kenny, the former Rangers and Scotland striker who had penned a two-year deal with Dundee last midweek.
However, it was Miller junior who made an immediate impact being played as a left winger and provided the assist for Dundee’s goal although it ultimately counted for little with the Steelmen taking all three points.
Now, he is looking to help his new team secure their first league points of the season after the international break when they make the trip to face Rangers at Ibrox.
Miller said: “The result was obviously disappointing but personally it was good to come on and make my debut for Dundee. There is a good bunch of boys here so hopefully we can get together, move on from that and try to win the next game.
“I want to be playing week in, week out and I feel like I can at Dundee.
“The move came about purely down to my agent.
“He is friends with the gaffer (Neil McCann) who had wanted me for a while. I was keeping my options open but then I realised that this is where I would get a good opportunity playing a wee bit further up the park.
“I felt I showed that when I came on and maybe brought a bit of life to the game. That was always my objective because I missed being higher up the park and taking people on and beating them. Getting an assist is good for me as well but, as I said, I am disappointed with the result.
“In individual terms it is a positive road for me and hopefully I can get starts and play week in, week out.”
Miller added: “At Celtic, I obviously have Kieran Tierney there. We are roughly the same age so game time is important for him as well.
“So I can’t wait about – I need to take my career where I can get game time and prove I am a player.
“I am coming to Dundee to play games and show that I am ready or I am needed back if Kieran goes away.
“That’s my objective. If I can play a lot of games here, then I can go back and the manager will know that I am ready and have experienced this level.”
The Steelmen had the better of the first half with chances for Andrew Rose and Curtis Main who both went close with headers. The latter had another good opportunity when Genseric Kusunga played centre-half partner Josh Meekings into trouble with Main pouncing but he dragged his low shot from 20 yards just wide.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 56th minute. Kusunga committed a defensive howler as he failed to deal with a cross into the Dundee box, with the ball falling perfectly for Motherwell’s Danny Johnsonwhoneedednosecondinvitation to gleefully shoot past helpless home keeper Jack Hamilton.
The goalie was beaten once more in the 68th minute when Calvin Miller committed a foul 22 yards out and Gael Bigirimana sent the free-kick into the corner of Hamilton’s net.
The Dark Blues pulled one back just three minutes later when Miller sent a corner in from the left and Ben Kallman directed a header past Motherwell keeper Trevor Carson.
Miller then twice created chances in quick succession. Firstly Paul McGowan’s shot was blocked by the legs of Carson and then the keeper saved another Kallman header.
Motherwell sealed all three points when a Conor Sammon effort broke to Allan Campbell and he drilled the ball past the exposed Hamilton.
Miller was just one of a recent flurry of signings at Dens and he hopes the break will give them all time to gel.
He said: “There has been a lot of new signings so hopefully we can take the time over the international break to get together as a group, get a bit of spirit and try to build as many points as possible.
“The next game will be a tough one but we definitely have quality within the squad so we just need to gel and fight as a team.”