Ishmael Miller

Football player infobox
playername = Ishmael Miller
fullname = Ishmael Anthony Miller
height = Height|m=1.91
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1987|3|5
cityofbirth = Manchester
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = West Bromwich Albion
clubnumber = 10
position = Midfielder/Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2005–2008
2007–2008
2008–
clubs = Manchester City
→ West Bromwich Albion (loan)
West Bromwich Albion
caps(goals) = 17 (0)
21 (7)
16 (2)
nationalyears = 2007-
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 00 (0)
pcupdate = 12:26, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Ishmael Anthony Miller (born 5 March 1987 in Moston, Manchester, England) is an English footballer who currently plays for West Bromwich Albion. Miller was a striker in youth and reserve football, but first played for the Manchester City first team as an attacking midfielder. He is nicknamed "The Moston Menace".cite news | title=WBA vs Preston| url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10366,00.html|publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.| date=2007-08-18 | accessdate=2007-08-19]

Career

He signed professionally at the beginning of the 2005-06 season, [cite web | title=Ishmael Miller| url=http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=forwardOnly&nextPage=enPlayerProfile&playerId=307318|work=FA Premier League official website| accessdate=October 22 | accessyear=2006] and featured in a number of pre-season games for the first team. A number of impressive displays for the reserve team led to a competitive first team debut, as a substitute in an FA Premier League match against Wigan Athletic on 18 March, 2006. Miller made no further first team appearances that season, but was leading goalscorer for the reserves.

Miller featured regularly in Manchester City's first team pre-season matches in July and August 2006, including a goal in a friendly against Wrexham. He then proceeded to make substitute appearances in four of Manchester City's first six games of the season, and made his full debut on 23 September, 2006 in a 2–0 victory over West Ham, and started the move which led to the opening goal.]

On 18 July 2007, Miller had been linked with a move to Preston North End. On 13 August 2007, West Bromwich Albion manager, Tony Mowbray, confirmed that he is interested in taking Miller on a season-long loan. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/6944790.stm |title=West Brom keen to recruit Miller |work=BBC Sport |date=2007-08-13 ]

On 15 August 2007 Miller completed a season long loan to West Brom with a view to a permanent transfer. "Ishmael will give us a different option up front," Mowbray predicted. "He's a big, quick, powerful lad who is looking for an opportunity to play more regularly. He will increase competition for places with the other strikers we've already got at the club."

Miller scored on his debut for West Bromwich Albion with an individual effort in their 2–0 home win against Preston North End on 18 August 2007. He had been on the pitch for only seven minutes, having replaced Kevin Phillips, the other scorer in the game, in the 66th minute. He scored on his first start for Albion against Ipswich Town and helped the team to a 4-0 victory, before scoring twice in Albion's 4–2 home loss to Cardiff City. Miller's form during October led to his nomination for Championship player of the month, but the award went to Stoke City's on-loan defender Ryan Shawcross. [cite news
title=Shawcross receives October award
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/7080062.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-11-05
accessdate=2007-11-05 ] He was further recognised later in November, when he received his first call-up to the England under-21s. [cite news
title=Miller called up by U21s
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1168673,00.html
publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
date=2007-11-15
accessdate=2007-11-15]

In a 5 October interview on Manchester City's website, Sven Goran Eriksson, Manchester City manager confirmed that Miller is still part of his long-term plans. Amongst other things, Eriksson said, "We talked about it and we could not see why he should not have a new contract with us, but we were very keen that he go out on loan and it’s working out very well for him" (referring to Miller's new three year contract signed with Manchester City just as he went on loan), and "I saw the game (Q.P.R) on TV last Sunday, and I thought he was fantastic. When he scored he went looking for someone, which I thought it would be his family or his girlfriend – but then they showed Micah Richards jumping up and down in the crowd!" . [cite web |url=http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?pagegid={DBD12D53-8346-431D-A04F-5D0F8664DE80}&newsid=476580|title=Ishmael's impact catches Sven's eye|work=MCFC |date=2007-10-05 ]

On the last day of the January 2008 transfer window, Miller signed on a permanent deal to West Brom on a 3½ year contract, for a fee that could rise to £1.4 million. [cite news
title=Miller completes £900,000 move
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1230457,00.html
publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
date=2008-01-31
accessdate=2008-01-31] On 9 March 2008 he scored a hat-trick in Albion's 5–1 win at Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup quarter-final. [cite news
title= Bristol Rovers vs WBA
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10366~43359,00.html
publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
date=2008-03-09
accessdate=2008-03-09]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.wba.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10366~34387,00.html Ishmael Miller player profile] at wba.co.uk
* [http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?pagegid={439A001B-9F18-408E-BD8E-8466AB3C97FD}&bioid=12808&siteid=502 Ishmael Miller player profile] at mcfc.co.uk
*soccerbase|id=41710|name=Ishmael Miller