Éire Óg issue a statement on passing of Liam Miller

A devastating loss of a life which was cut short far too soon Liam Miller 1981-2018

THE death of former Ireland midfielder at 36 has rocked the world of Irish soccer, with tributes flooding in yesterday for the Corkman who succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Friday.

However Miller, who won 21 caps for the Republic of Ireland and played for succession of big clubs including Manchester United, Celtic, QPR, Leeds United, Sunderland and Hibernian, spent the early part of his sporting career playing GAA.

The Ballincollig man had turned out for Éire Óg as a youngster in nearby Ovens and the Cork club took to social media to offer their condolences to Miller’s friends and family yesterday.

‘Our condolences go out to the Miller family after the awful sad news of the passing of our former player Liam Miller (36) after a brave fight with cancer.

‘Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. May he rest in peace,’ read the Éire Óg statement on Twitter.

EVEN though he was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, the news that Liam Miller had died on Friday night was still shocking. He was only 36 and had a whole life ahead of him. You only have to look at the tributes paid by his former Ireland youth teammates to recognise the type of person he was. Lads like Graham Barrett and Stephen Elliott were really close in the underage teams under Brian Kerr and they obviously built relationships and friendships with each other which have managed to last the test of time.

There is clearly a close bond and loyalty between them and I love that. Of all the testimonies you will read this weekend, these are the ones that mean more than anything because of that bond they had as team-mates and the friendships they built over years away from the game.

Stephen’s message on social media was an emotional one. You could tell it was from the heart. ‘Liam was a great team mate and room mate. He was also a top opponent. But most of all he is one of the few people in football who I consider a true friend. I’m absolutely devastated for him and his young family. I’m sure he is resting with the angels now. RIP Chewy love you x.’

From a personal point of view, having played with Liam for the majority of his Ireland matches, he was just a great lad. He played 21 times for his country and that is something to be proud of. He admitted himself that he could have played more with the talent he had but even if he had only played once that still would have been an amazing achievement.

He was not what many would perceive to be the modern footballer. He was not arrogant or loud and there was no edge to him, despite his achievements in the game and the clubs he played for.

The one thing that many ex-teammates and friends have said is that he was a lovely, quiet unassuming lad. And he was genuinely like that.

Not many Irish lads in my lifetime have managed to live the dream and play in the first team for Celtic and Manchester United, as well as represent their country.

That in itself is a wonderful achievement but Liam really did seem to take that in his stride and it was a nice touch from Alex Ferguson to recognise the contribution Liam made at Old Trafford.

‘I am very sad to hear that Liam has died. He was a good professional, who served our club in an excellent manner. He was a quiet, unassuming young man and was popular with everyone at Carrington. On behalf of all my staff who worked with Liam at the time, we send our deepest sympathy to his family,’ Ferguson wrote.

Martin O’Neill, too, recalled the impact Miller made under him at Celtic after initially breaking into the team at Parkhead under Kenny Dalglish. ‘I remember the impact that Liam had in a big Champions League match against Lyon. We were pressing strongly and trying to find the breakthrough when Liam scored a magical goal that gave us momentum to win the game,’ O’Neill said in a statement released by the FAI.

‘At the end of that season, Liam moved on to Manchester United but had already made a strong mark at Celtic Park and the players were extremely disappointed to see him go.

‘Liam’s passing is very sad and he will be greatly missed. He was an excellent footballer and a fantastic man.’

Those words really do ring true. If anyone had the right to be arrogant or a bit full of themselves, it was someone from Cork who played for two great clubs like Celtic and United, but Liam was the total opposite. He wasn’t one to boast. All he wanted to do was play football. He was a family man and that was most important of all.

He didn’t do many press interviews, not because he particularly wanted to avoid them, but because I think he was shy and just wanted to play and do his talking out on the pitch. And he did quietly go about his job on the training ground.

It was devastating enough when we were told just a few months ago that he had this terrible disease and to hear he has now passed away is dreadful.

The first thoughts of course go to his wife, young children, his parents and immediate family and many friends.

Regardless of his achievements in the game and the memories of his former team-mates from his time as a player, he has a young family and those kids have lost their dad. That is what really brings it home.

He’s younger than me and he should have been looking forward to living an excellent life in retirement after a great playing career, but that has been taken away from him.

It is terribly sad and my thoughts and best wishes go to his family and friends.