Calvin Miller is determined to use his move to Hearts as a springboard to finally earn a Scotland call-up, with the winger confident he can force his way into the national team under a new manager. The 28-year-old, who starred for Falkirk last season, was tipped for his first cap under former boss Steve Clarke but never received the nod. Now, with Clarke gone and a new Scotland manager expected, Miller believes his switch to the Premiership side will strengthen his case.
Miller on Scotland Hopes
Miller said: "Hopefully. There was a situation last year when I was doing well and there was talk of me maybe getting a call up or whatever. But maybe being at Falkirk I was a bit overlooked. Club size might come into it when you’re up against players from Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. All the bigger clubs, maybe their players get in first." He added that Clarke showed loyalty to established squad members, but a fresh start could open the door. "Maybe it’ll freshen up with a new manager and if I can hit the same heights as I did last season, maybe I’ll get a chance which would be nice."
Manager Change at Hearts
Miller hasn't even kicked a competitive ball for Hearts and is already working under his second manager, with Wouter Vrancken replacing Derek McInnes, who moved to Rangers. Miller had spoken to McInnes multiple times and was looking forward to working with him, but he is now embracing Vrancken's style. "I was in quite a strange situation to be honest because I’d spoken to Derek maybe three or four times. He was telling me what he wanted from me, as you can imagine, and how he’d wanted me in for a while. I’d spoken to a couple of other boys and they said how good he was to work under. He’s a top manager, so I was really looking forward to working with him in that sense, but then these situations occur and we’ve got a new manager now. I’m delighted that he’s trying to play a bit more football. It’s going to be a different style of play to what it was last season, which might suit me, considering I came from Falkirk who were a passing team as well."
Pre-Season Challenge in Spain
Hearts are currently on a pre-season trip to Spain, where Vrancken is putting the squad through demanding sessions. Miller highlighted the mental challenge as much as the physical. "It’s been good so far. Tough actually, just with the heat, but I’ve settled in nicely. We’ve been given a lot of information actually. I know he wants to play football and when I was at Falkirk last season, we had that brand of football in terms of playing out and stuff, the patterns of play. But under Vrancken, it’s not the same, it’s different. So I’m just taking new bits of information on and trying to construct them as fast as possible. So as much as he’s physically demanding, it’s mentally as well – you’ve got to be on the ball. I just feel like you constantly need to be switched on. When you get used to it, it just becomes automatic. This is a new situation so there’s a lot of thinking behind what you’re doing, so that’s been tough too."
Competition for Places
The former Celtic youngster was a regular at Falkirk but now faces fierce competition for wide positions at Hearts, with Josh McPake, Rogers Mato, Alexandro Kyziridis, and Sabah Kerjota among his rivals. Miller remains confident in his ability. "There’s not just a lot of wingers, there’s a lot of players. There’s a squad of 40, so that in itself is going to be tough – but I back my own ability and I’ll try my hardest to get myself involved. If that takes a while then it’ll take a while, but I’ll try to prove that I can play for us. I did it last season with Falkirk and was able to play in the Premiership. I think you need players who know the league and have done it, so I’m hoping that’s a big factor in what the gaffer’s going to do as well."
Champions League Ambitions
Hearts are also preparing for a Champions League qualifier against Sturm Graz later this month, requiring a deep squad. Miller is taking a measured approach. "You do need a big squad. Injuries can happen so everybody has got to be on their toes and ready to step in at any point. I’ve not really thought about it (the Champions League). I’m just trying to get my fitness and sharpness up, I feel fit already, it’s just getting that match sharpness. It’s like game time, everybody wants to just get in and play games because that’s where they get the most sharpness from. I’m not running too far ahead, just taking it day by day."
