Lewis on rise after being the Oz fall guy
HIBS manager Nick Montgomery is convinced Lewis Miller is a better player because of his Asian Cup nightmare.
The former Central Coast Mariners full-back became Australia’s fall guy in the tournament last month after conceding an injury-time penalty and an extra-time free-kick that allowed South Korea to come from behind in their quarter-final clash.
Arriving back in Scotland on the back of stinging criticism from Socceroos supporters, Miller was thrust straight back into action with Hibs.
And as he gears up for Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Rangers, Montgomery reckons Miller has shown the “resilience” needed to learn from his mistakes.
He said: “He’s come back to Scotland into a culture where it’s all about the team, just like at the Mariners. And he’s going to learn valuable lessons from every mistake he makes.
“He’s a young player who
still makes errors and has been humbled by the support we’ve given him.
“What happened [with Australia] was a devastating time for him but that’s football. You make mistakes and build resilience along the way.”
Speaking to Australian website Ftbl, Montgomery revealed he had followed Miller’s career for years.
He said: “He’s a player I’ve known for a long time. He’s on a steep learning curve, which will see him grow.
“I’ve got faith in him and what he needed most after the Asian Cup was to get back playing.
“As a player you have good and bad times and it’s during those difficult periods where you build your character
“Hopefully what happened with Australia won’t affect his international career in any way.
“What he needs to do now is play consistently well for Hibs and the callups for Australia will take care of themselves.”