O'Neill questions Miller's choice

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international midfielder will join the English champions on 1 July, United formally announcing his capture yesterday morning while shockwaves still reverberated among the Celtic supporters at their club’s failure to persuade Miller to accept a new contract.

A bitterly disappointed O’Neill, who admitted the shock loss of Miller has ripped the heart out of his immediate future plans for his Celtic side, is convinced the player would have served his own development far better had he remained in Glasgow.

As it is, Miller’s late substitute appearance in last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Rangers at Parkhead may prove to be his last in Celtic colours. It was revealed yesterday that a pelvic injury will sideline the 22-year-old for the next six to eight weeks, after which time O’Neill conceded he is unsure whether he would ever field Miller in front of what is certain to be a hostile Celtic support.

O’Neill learned on Thursday, when he met Miller’s agent Fintan Drury in London, that the player had decided to join United. When the manager addressed the media at Parkhead yesterday afternoon, he had still to speak to Miller himself, but it can be assumed the conversation will not be the warmest the young man from Cork has ever engaged in when it does take place.

"I’m obviously very disappointed," said O’Neill. "We made him an exceptionally good offer, but it’s obviously his prerogative and his agent’s prerogative to turn it down and go where they want to go.

"We had the idea that, come next season, he would become an absolute mainstay in the side, a pivotal player and one the game would be played through.

"My advice, naturally as the manager of the football club, is that I would have loved him to stay. I think his development in the next 18 months is absolutely vital. He’s not 17 now, he will be 23 next month. Even from my experience of the game outwith being Celtic manager, I would have thought the next 18 months would have been a period when he could have flourished here and we would have been able to give him all the things that would have suited his career at this time. We could have fulfilled his desires and ambitions.

"Manchester United are a massive club, one of the best clubs in the world, if not the best. Liam knows what he is going to, knows the quality of opposition he faces just to get into the team, and presumably he must have considered those things."

O’Neill robustly refuted suggestions Celtic were slow to act in securing Miller on a long-term contract, pointing out the player’s lengthy injury history and the fact he has only recently started to fulfil his potential.

"I wouldn’t accept that criticism," said O’Neill. "There is an awful lot of Monday morning quarterbacking going on. I didn’t see anyone rushing to take Liam Miller seven months ago. There was not one offer for him.

"Full credit to the coaching staff here for getting him to turn and go at players and discouraging him to play sideways balls. Liam’s rise, I think we would all admit, has been meteoric but maybe I should have given him a 35-year contract the day he arrived back from loan at Aarhus two years ago.

"Liam has been injured for probably half the time I have been at the football club, but we all knew he had really good potential. He went out to Aarhus to get some experience. Our side had been doing fine, with some quality midfield players obviously ahead of him at that stage.

"When he came back, he still had some niggling injuries but during the back end of last season he was beginning to show that sort of promise at Under-21 level. Obviously, it was going to be hard for him to break into the side because we were heavily involved in UEFA Cup games and it’s safe to suggest the side didn’t do too badly.

"Last summer was always going to be a big thing for him. I had spoken to his agent about improving his contract. Obviously, the young lad wanted to make sure he was going to be playing first-team football. There was no talk about Manchester United.

"I said to the agent at the time he would get a fair crack of the whip. If it went well, great, if not then we would try and get him first-team football elsewhere. Liam then surpassed expectations in every aspect, did very well indeed, and I spoke to the agent again in late August. He was going on holiday so it was put on hold.

"It wasn’t a major problem, but in the meantime Liam was doing wonderfully well and with each good game he played, he was improving his own position. I’ve no problem with that - it’s the risk you run.

"He happened to have his best ever game [against Anderlecht] when Alex Ferguson saw him and although much was made of it at that stage, we were always quite hopeful we could do it. I was never certain, but we made what we considered an exceptionally good offer for the number of games he had played and the potential he had shown.

"He has been playing wonderfully well which, in terms of timing, was great for both the player and his agent but obviously not so clever for us. That’s the way it goes. If Manchester United come calling, you obviously have to think about it."

There is little doubt O’Neill will consider Miller’s decision as something of a personal slight, despite his best efforts to suggest the opposite.

"Why would I personally feel let down?" said O’Neill, less than convincingly. "This is people’s lives and their livelihood. I’m disappointed, but it’s the player’s prerogative."

O’Neill will now begin a search for Miller’s replacement, stressing that Stephen Pearson had been signed from Motherwell as an addition to the Celtic squad, not instead of the Irishman.

Miller, who slavishly guards his privacy and rarely gives interviews, did break his silence to tell the Manchester United website: "As a boy, I only ever supported two clubs, Celtic and United. I’m honoured to have played for Celtic for six years and now I’m looking forward to joining United."

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Miller’s capture as a key part in his youthful overhaul of the United squad.

"We recognised the potential of Liam and he has had a great season at Celtic," said the United manager. "He is very much part of our progressive thinking of developing a young team over the next few years."