Miller must now seize the moment

A year on The Wear:Up on a slope on Newcastle Road, out near Sunderland's training ground, sits a windmill. It is an imposing structure, a town landmark from its creation 200 years ago. Despite accidents, dereliction and disregard down the decades, it still works. As he goes to work each morning a man called Miller could just see the symbolism in its stubborn presence should he choose to.

However, Liam Miller could hardly be more reticent when it comes to revealing what he thinks. Given that this is only his 13th month on Wearside, he may feel it is certainly too soon to be discussing the need for obduracy.

But that would appear to be merely one quality Miller is going to have to display today and over the coming weeks if this is to become the - successfully - defining period of the 26-year-old's career.

So far it has been sufficiently eventful for each phase to be described as defining, of course. Injuries at Celtic, playing European Cup football at Parkhead and then leaving Celtic for Manchester United, these were each major moments in the first period of Miller's professional life.

Simply being able to say that you have played for both of those clubs is an impressive statement to make. Others made some big claims for him, too. Lisbon Lion Bobby Lennox said of Miller: "I don't think Celtic have seen such a talented player since the days of Kenny Dalglish."

But it has been unusual, short, sharp, in, out. And it is the experience of matches played that should matter most to a professional footballer, not his contract nor his CV. Dig beneath the gloss of Miller's for instance and one sees he started 13 league games for Celtic and just three for Manchester United.

Some would say that is not enough to enable you to call yourself a player for either of those clubs.

Miller could counter that if he wanted but when, almost two years ago - after 16 months at Old Trafford - Alex Ferguson suggested that a loan spell at Leeds would help Miller acquire the necessary game experience, both individuals saw the logic. "I thought, 'Jesus, it would be great to be playing again'," Miller said at the time.

Previously he had been part of the United team that drew 0-0 at home to Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup, arguably a worse performance than this week's home defeat by Coventry in the League Cup. Although he wore United red again, in the replay in fact, for Miller and others like Eric Djemba-Djemba, Exeter was the beginning of the end at Old Trafford.

Elland Road is not the obvious destination for Manchester United players to rediscover themselves, but at Leeds Miller at least got games. He was given the departed Alan Smith's number 17 shirt and of the 30 games left in the season before last Miller started 26 as Leeds finished fifth and made the play-off final against Watford (in which he was substituted at 2-0 down).

But there was some contentment at Leeds. Having sat in a dressingroom at Leeds's Thorpe Arch training ground with him, that much was apparent. He still lived near Manchester but Miller, David Healy and Jonathan Douglas would make the daily trip there and back together. You could see strong friendships were being formed.

At that point he was still hoping to force his way back to Old Trafford. "It hasn't gone as well at Man U as I would have liked," he said. "I know I can do a lot better than what I've shown so far. It's just a case I feel of getting a steady run in the team to prove that. I still believe, myself, I have inner confidence, that I can play for Manchester United. I haven't given up at all and hopefully I can prove the manager wrong."

But he never did. It was not until last August's transfer to Sunderland that the steady run of games came again. Miller was one of those rash of late signings by Roy Keane in his first week in the job. He started well, scoring a smooth opener at Leeds in only his second game.

But then came an injury, a flattening of form and a red card at Preston in the FA Cup. It might not be Miller's favourite competition. By early this year Miller was sub one week, starter the next and even after he made a contribution on February 24th that no one present will forget - a 90th minute winner at home to Derby - the next week he was on the bench at West Brom.

That goal against Derby was vital in terms of Sunderland's self-belief - and the knocking of a rival's. It was a crucial goal and now Miller has delivered another significant late strike. Last Saturday's 89th minute equaliser at Middlesbrough won Sunderland a point. It also won Miller some renewed attention but the fact it was his first Premier League goal confirms the in-out nature of his career. He remains some way off starting 100 league games - or 2½ seasons of appearances.

But, with Dickson Etuhu suspended today, Miller looks to be in for the visit of Blackburn to the Stadium of Light.

You can tell Keane wants him to seize his chance, occupy and dominate, but you can also read between the lines.

Keane turned up at Hillsborough on Wednesday night to monitor Graham Kavanagh's progress on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

"We hope Liam's now ready to kick on," Keane said the following morning. "He's a good player. For starters, the comparison with me when he went to United was unfair. I had it when I went to United. Every player has his own strengths and we shouldn't compare.

"But hopefully we will get 100 or more games out of him at Sunderland. He staked his claim last week and trained really well and there is no doubt he's a talented player. But in the position he plays, in the middle of the park, you need to stamp your authority and that's what we are putting to Liam all the time."