Lennon Miller determined to enjoy end of season as Motherwell seal survival

Lennon Miller has built his career so far on enjoying his football and aims to throw off the shackles further in Motherwell’s final three games of the season.

The 18-year-old enhanced his reputation further on Sunday when he was declared PFA Scotland SPFL Young Player of the Year ahead of fellow nominees Arne Engels of Celtic, Rangers striker Hamza Igamane and Hearts forward James Wilson.

The prize came after Miller helped Well retain their top-flight status for a 41st consecutive season with a 2-1 win at Dundee.

The teenager looks unlikely to be involved in the club’s next campaign, certainly after August, amid interest at home and abroad for the Scotland squad player.

Miller will live in the moment though.

“We’ve got three games left at Motherwell until the end of the season, so that’s my main focus and then we will see what happens,” he said.

“We knew getting safety as soon as we could would be an extra bonus and we can play with the shackles off and really enjoy it.”

Miller was the subject of several failed bids in January and has grown accustomed to dealing with speculation over his future.

“You need to learn to deal with it very quickly because I have been linked with numerous clubs,” he said.

“I try to keep that to the one side and focus on every day as it comes and try to enjoy every day.

“You need to enjoy it. It’s the best job in the world so why not enjoy it?”

It is an approach that has been drilled into him from an early age at Motherwell, who continue to produce Scotland internationals.

“It’s the coaching staff,” Miller said. “From such a young age they encourage you to enjoy it, which I think is the main ingredient for every good player.

“There is obviously some of that down to ability but the coaching is top. I can’t talk highly enough of the coaches I have had and it was just about enjoying it.”

On receiving the prize, Miller added: “It’s pretty hard to put into words. It’s a proud moment for me and my family. I’m just thankful to the people that voted for me, the players I play with every week and the coaching staff.”