Hibs Star Miller’s Bold Mission: Socceroos Redemption and the Shocking Truth About the Club’s Struggles….

 Socceroos boss Graham Arnold had just one question for Lewis Miller when he called to invite the Hibs fullback to the World Cup doubleheader kicking off in Gold Coast this week. “Are you ready to go?” Arnold asked. Miller, in true Aussie fashion, was probably tempted to reply with a dry “Ya reckon?”

“Yes, boss, I’m ready to go,” was Miller’s actual response as he eagerly boarded a plane at 8 AM, thrilled to have another shot at representing his country. With the match against Bahrain on the horizon, followed by next week’s trip to Indonesia, Miller is set to make his mark.

Reflecting on the personal abuse he received on social media after Australia’s quarter-final loss to South Korea, Miller admits: “Look, that’s always going to stick in my head. But you can’t really dwell on the past. Football is the most beautiful sport ever. But it can also be the cruellest sport ever. That’s football. It’s why we play it – for the extremes of emotion.”

He added, “I’m ready and determined to redeem myself, put it all right. And I do that by ignoring the past and focusing on what is in front of me.”

Returning to Scotland bruised by his first major tournament experience, Miller found support in his then-Hibs boss Nick Montgomery, who emphasized the importance of being “back where people love him.” Miller doesn’t disagree.

“We had a lot of senior players last year who lifted me, got round me when I got back here. Hibs almost became my obsession. I threw everything into grinding every day, working for the team. I think I bounced back quite well,” Miller shared.

Now, he’s excited to represent his country once again. “It’s always an honour playing for your country. I’m glad to be fit and ready to contribute again. The boss just asked me: ‘Are you ready?’ That was all he had to say. Because obviously I was struggling during the last camp with injuries, so it didn’t put me in a position to get selected.