Millen: I almost chucked it in this summer
Killie goal hero Ross Millen was on the brink of giving up football in the summer before landing a deal at Rugby Park.
The 24-year-old was the man of the hour at Tynecastle where he scored on his league debut to give Steve Clarke’s men victory.
And, as he explained, it was a score which completed a remarkable five-month turnaround. “In the summer I was chucking it, to be honest,” he said.
“I came out of Queens Park and had nothing – I had fallen out of love with playing football.
“I would have tried to go into coaching or something like that because I do really love football.
“It was a horrible time. “I thought I had done well at Queens Park but because of the way we finished (they were relegated to League Two) people were not watching.
“But then I got an opportunity through an agent to come in on trial for a week.
“I did not bad and then went with them to La Manga and the manager offered me six months.
“Obviously, I snapped his hand off and, since then, I’ve just worked really hard.” While time is now ticking with his deal due to run out at the end of the year, Millen is optimistic he will be offered the chance to stay.
“Of course I am hoping for a new deal but it is not for me to say,” he said.
“I really enjoyed this win and I will be back in training tomorrow, but I don’t think too far ahead. “I have had too many downs to think like that, there is no point, you just have to enjoy the moment and whatever happens, happens.
“The gaffer says I have been doing well, but it is tough because you have somebody in front of you who is playing for Scotland so I have just tried to learn from everyone and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.” Clarke, who watched his side move to third top, was careful to avoid making any rash predictions.
“I think we should be higher in the league. I am probably a little bit disappointed with our points tally, to be honest,” he said.
“But it is nice to be so far away from the bottom two and if we can pick up a lot more points before the winter break, then we can think about mounting a serious challenge for the top six again.
“For a club like Kilmarnock that is always the priority.
We have to get away from the bottom, then we have to try and cement a top six place, after that it is for the supporters to dream. Not for us.”