Lennon Miller backed to be best midfielder in Scotland squad by dad Lee after shock call-up

Motherwell teenager Lennon Miller is aiming to become the best midfielder in the Scotland squad – and his dad has backed him to do so.

That’s after the 18-year-old received his first call-up to the senior squad, which will see him involved in a crucial international UEFA Nations League play-off with Greece next week.

Despite admitting it was a “surreal” moment, Lennon has quickly set his sights on making himself a key member of Steve Clarke’s squad.

“Listen, I’m not going to go in and be the best player there, but I believe that maybe in a couple of months, I could be the best player there. And I think that’s how you need to think,” he said.

“As a football player you need to want to be the best and that’s what I’ll look to do.

“I’m confident in my own ability. There’s loads of unreal midfielders in there, and I’m just going to try and learn from them, from everybody in there, and listen, we’ll see what happens on Thursday.

Motherwell's Lennon Miller has been called up to the Scotland squad. — Motherwell’s Lennon Miller has been called up to the Scotland squad. SNS Group

“There’s people in my position, your Billy Gilmores, your John McGinns, they’ve had excellent careers so far, so you take wee bits from their game, and there is obviously experienced players like Andy Robertson, and you want to play in the Premier League, so you take wee bits from him.

“It’ll be weird, obviously you watch these players play in the Champions League, Premier League, so to share training pitches and hotels with them will be surreal moment. But I just need to take as much as I can from them, on the pitch, off the pitch, and hopefully learn as much as I can.”

Lennon has been a shining star since becoming Motherwell’s youngest ever player back in 2022.

He’s went on to celebrate a landmark season so far, which has included captaining Motherwell and leading them out at Hampden in November’s League Cup semi-final against Rangers.

After earning his first call up, Miller has admitted that he would love to overtake the three caps father Lee picked up in a Scotland shirt.

“He’s got three, and I want to try get as many as I can, hopefully more than three. But he’s just said, take it all in your stride. It’s obviously a proud moment for him, and hopefully I can get a few more than him.”

Dad Lee was part of the Scotland squad that won the Kirin Cup under Walter Smith. SNS Group

Lennon’s dad Lee, who was part of the Scotland squad that won the Kirin Cup under Walter Smith in 2006, was not surprised to hear about his son’s ambitions.

“I think it’s one of them he just need to play football, ignore the noise that surround him. Yeah we’ll talk and have a think about different situations and stuff,” he said.

“Listen, he’s got ambitions to go the highest level possible, but he just wants to play football at a good level and enjoy it and keep learning and keep working hard. That’s the main thing for Lennon.”

Lee, who played for Falkirk, Hearts, Dundee United and Aberdeen among others, said he loved his own time in the Scotland set up – and shared his pride that his son will now experience the same feeling.

He said: “My phone lit up a like a Christmas tree yesterday. We’re really proud of him. We always are, but it’s a really proud moment for us.

“It was emotional. First thing I’m thinking let’s try and get a flight over there, as I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity, just to see him in the squad, and I know what it means to him, he’s worked so hard for it, he works every single day in training, so as a family we’re really proud of him, and he’s as buzzing as he can be.

“I got myself a couple caps, I loved training and going away with the national team and playing with those players.

“He’s came up through the ranks with the national team and came up all the levels, he’s done every age group up until the full Scotland cap.

“He’s just a really good kid and has his feet firmly on the ground.

“I don’t need to tell him to ignore all the noise, he just gets on with it himself. It’s trying to not get to high and not too low, and just getting on with his job.

“Just to get called up the full squad is an incredible achievement at just 18 years old.”

Scotland travel to Athens for the first leg of the Nations League play-off game next Thursday before the return game at Hampden three days later.